This research will put people at the heart of understanding the cumulative and intersectional impact of policy and budget choices on those living in poverty. When social security, housing, public services, employment, and childcare policy decisions are made in isolation, they fail to address the complex reality of people’s lives. Neither the mission-focused programme of the UK Labour Government, including the Child Poverty Taskforce, nor the First Minister’s ‘central mission’ to eradicate child poverty, can be achieved unilaterally.

Our research will be undertaken as the Scottish Parliament election campaign begins, providing a unique opportunity to highlight emerging issues and platform innovative solutions. We will produce briefings, composite stories and insights to equip policymakers with both the evidence and the anti-poverty solutions.

Professor Nicola McEwen, Director of the Centre for Public Policy said:

“Eradicating poverty is the central ‘mission’ of the Scottish Government, backed by statutory targets that it is struggling to meet. Our project will examine the impact of siloed policy making within and between governments, and the barriers to the system-level change that is required. Our Policy Lab will bring together key decision makers from governments, parliament, business and the third sector, ensuring academic scholarship can inform, engage and mobilise change.”

Core to this research is a bottom-up approach to policymaking, prioritising individuals’ lived experiences as the foundation for decisions, rather than starting with policies set by governments or institutions. By partnering with the Poverty Alliance, and informed by those with lived experience, this perspective ensures that solutions are grounded in real-world needs and insights, fostering more inclusive and responsive outcomes for society.

The team will start by examining the problem through the creation of composite stories, which whilst fictional are rooted in the lived experience of Scots. At the heart of our drive to undertake this work, was the example of Michelle. She is a single mum working on a minimum wage zero-hour contract, prevented from taking on regular shifts due to her son’s anxiety. If Michelle takes on extra hours, her Universal Credit gets cut along with the Scottish Child Payment, and it can take weeks for a renewed claim to be processed. Meanwhile, she faces rising energy bills, rent, and council tax, alongside cuts to local public services for her kids. These interconnected challenges, rooted in siloed policymaking, deepen Michelle’s poverty and complicate solutions for policymakers.

Professor Kezia Dugdale, Associate Director of the Centre for Public Policy said:

“Too often, people experiencing poverty fall through the gaps created by fragmented policies and disconnected systems. This project aims to shine a light on these failures and work collaboratively to design policies that put people, not processes, at the heart of decision-making."

The Centre for Public Policy exists to bring evidence and practice together so will use its expertise and convening power to bring together key decision-makers from government, third sector organisations, and business through a series of Policy Labs. These collaborative spaces will promote the development of alternative and evidence-based approaches to more effective and preventative public policy interventions.

The project will draw on insights from the Robertson Trust, the Poverty Alliance, and additional expertise from partners across sectors to build a more inclusive and impactful policy framework.

This annoucement was originally posted on the Centre for Public Policy news website.

For more information please contact Kimberley Somerside, Policy Engagement Lead at the Centre for Public Policy: Kimberley.somerside@glasgow.ac.uk

First published: 16 December 2024

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