Thirty-seven-year-old Dean used to work at the steelworks in Scunthorpe, but now he, his wife and their seven children and stepchildren get by on benefits. Dean is a guide to his world, where being out of work is nothing out of the ordinary, where people do what they can to survive and where keeping your kids on the straight and narrow is a challenge.

Dean's wife Claire became a mother in her teens and is determined her daughters won't go the same way. It is difficult not to worry that her 15-year-old daughter might follow in her footsteps when she has been driving around with an older boy. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Fergie is wanted by the police and is worried about whether his new girlfriend will wait for him if he ends up in prison.

Kieron, who was once slapped with an ASBO to stop his prolific shoplifting, but is now trying to change his life and get clean; and Dean's former son-in-law Shane, who wants to make it as a cage fighter. Dean's stepson James is about to leave school and hopes to join the army. First, it's time to pack the family off to Skegness for their annual holiday.

Gail deals with the loss of her husband due to alcoholism, and struggles to keep her daughter on the right path as she mourns her stepfather. A candid look at the effects of addiction on families.

We meet a fisherman who's been at sea for four decades, but now - like most of his former shipmates - he's out of work and getting under the feet of his long-suffering fiancée. She's got enough on her plate with four kids and a sick dad.

Richie used to work down the docks, but now he's more likely to be found pawning DVDs. Heidi's at rock bottom, waiting to find out if she's going to prison. Meanwhile fishermen Jeff is still off work.