Kiran Nihalani and Peroline Ainsworth co-founded Skills Network in 2011, a women's cooperative in South London which brings together women with diverse experiences, many at the sharp end of inequality. They would like to thank fellow Network members Josephine Adabanri, Hazel Emmons and Sonia Franco for their insights and analysis in writing this article, which draws from participatory research on women’s experiences of welfare policy and low-paid work.