Building on earlier research that identified stigma as a key dimension of poverty, the Wales Centre for Public Policy (WCPP) commissioned the Poverty Alliance and the Scottish Poverty Inequality Research Unit (SPIRU) to conduct a rapid evidence review. The review explored the question, ‘what works to prevent and tackle poverty stigma through public policy and practice?’.
This review aims to inform national and local public policy and practice in Wales, including actions to deliver on Objective 4 of the Child Poverty Strategy for Wales 2024, which is about ensuring that ‘children, young people and their families experience dignity and respect in every interaction with people and services, while receiving the support they need’.
The Poverty Alliance and SPIRU adopted a systematic, multi-stage approach to identify, assess, and synthesise evidence across a range of policy areas including housing, food assistance, and education.
Three overarching models of effective practice for addressing poverty stigma through policy and public services were identified:
- Culture and values: Successful approaches to tackling and preventing poverty stigma are underpinned by common principles of dignity, respect and the meaningful involvement of people living on low incomes in the design, delivery and evaluation of services.
- Operational practices: Universal provision and the automation of benefits were found to reduce the ‘burden’ of proof of entitlement, while cash-first approaches were also found to be de-stigmatising by empowering service users to make the best choices for them and their households.
- Challenging stigma directly: By making subtle changes in language (i.e. promoting alternative, non-stigmatising interpretations and descriptions), service providers can begin to challenge both anticipated and internalised stigma, leading to increased engagement and uptake of services and support.
The review also provides several recommendations for developing the evidence base further:
- More funding to support robust evaluations of approaches/interventions that seek to tackle poverty stigma, which go beyond evaluation at the point of intervention conclusion.
- Active dissemination in Wales of the learning from local level examples of practice from elsewhere in the UK that is evidencing positive impact on tackling poverty stigma.
