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Louise Overton

Co-Investigator, University of Birmingham

Louise is Assistant Professor of Social Policy in the Department of Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology at the University of Birmingham, and Director of the Centre on Household Assets and Savings Management (CHASM). Louise’s work focuses on understanding and addressing the risks, challenges and inequalities associated with the financialisation of later life in three key policy areas: housing equity, pensions and long-term care. Her research has attracted widespread press coverage (FT Advisor, Telegraph, Guardian, among others) and has been instrumental in influencing policy and practice developments in the later life financial services and related sectors. Her social care research includes: Finding and Funding Social Care: A qualitative study of the experiences of self-funders; Home investments and aging-in-place: comparing policy contexts and household practices in the UK and the Netherlands, and The Development of a Decision Support Tool for Older People who Pay for Social Care. She also works closely with the Long-term Care Working Group of the Equity Release Council on the role and relevance of housing wealth in care funding solutions.

Research Interests

  • Risk and financial security in later life
  • Paying for care/economic impacts of care and caring
  • Equity release
  • Pension decision-making
  • Intergenerational relations

Latest social care research output – Hear real stories from real people about their experiences of paying for social care

Publications

  • Overton, L. and Smith, C (2022) Pension Decision Making in the New Retirement Landscape: Understanding and Improving Outcomes for Consumers https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/documents/college-social-sciences/social-policy/chasm/2022/pension-decision-making-in-the-new-retirement-landscape.pdf
  • Overton, L.  Solving the Social Care Crisis: Perspectives on the Contribution of Property Wealth, London: Equity Release Council  https://www.equityreleasecouncil.com/information-hub/library/
  • Baxter, k., Mann, R., Birks, Y. and Overton, L. (in press) A scoping review of evidence on the use and effectiveness of decision aids in adult social care, Journal of Long-term Care
  • Rowlingson, K. and Overton, L. and Cook, J. (in press) Housing and inter-generational relations: family support and the mixed economy of housing in the UK in R. Ronald and R. 
  • Arundel (eds.) Families, Housing and Property Wealth in a Neoliberal World, Routledge 
  • Overton, L. and O’Mahony, L. (2018) Stakeholder Conceptions of Later-Life Consumer Vulnerability in the Financial Services Industry: Beyond Financial Capability? Journal of Consumer Policy, 41,3, 273-295
  • Overton, L., O’Mahony, L. and Gibson, M. (2018) ‘The emotional dimension of trading on home in later life: Experiences of shame, guilt and pride’ in S. Bahun and B.Petric (eds.)  Thinking Home: Interdisciplinary Dialogues, London: Bloomsbury
  • Rowlingson, K, Joseph, R. and Overton, L. (2017) Intergenerational Financial Giving and Inequality: Give and Take in 21st Century Families, Basingstoke: Palgrave
  • Overton, L and Fox O’Mahony, L (2017) Understanding Attitudes to Paying for Care Amongst Equity Release Consumers: Citizenship, solidarity and the ‘hardworking homeowner’ Journal of Social Policy, 46, 1, 49–67