In Times of Crisis, a New Category of Social Assistance User: The Example of Jerez de la Frontera

The economic crisis produced increases in levels of poverty and a worsening in social welfare for the population of Jerez de la Frontera. The objective of this research is, therefore, to deepen our understanding of poverty in this particular municipality and determine if the crisis affected the characteristics of social services users and their territorial distribution in the city. This has involved the use of stratified sampling techniques and a questionnaire applied to the population under analysis. The results confirm the existence of a new category of social assistance claimant, as well as new regional areas affected by poverty.