 Skeggs was born in Middlesbrough, a post-industrial town on the south bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire.She studied an undergraduate degree in Sociology at the University of York (BA) and went on to study further at Keele University where she obtained a PGCE and PhD.She has worked at Crewe and Alsager College of Higher Education (Research Fellow), Worcester College of Higher Education (Sociology), University of York (Education and Women's Studies).