The devastating impact of the stigma of poverty has been long established. It is known to worsen people’s mental health, leads to people not claiming all the benefits they are entitled to and increases the risk of children being absent from school. Until recently, relatively little was known about the prevalence of the stigma in Welsh communities. The Wales Centre for Public Policy’s report lifts the lid on this often underdiscussed aspect of poverty, raising some questions about what actions should be prioritised to address it.
How prevalent is the stigma of poverty in Wales?
The Wales Centre for Public Policy’s report draws on insights gathered by YouGov as part of the Bevan Foundation’s Poverty Snapshot Survey.. It looks at people’s experiences of stigma in two ways:
- Received stigma – individuals’ personal experiences of being negatively judged, excluded, or treated unfairly by others because they live on a low income.
- Perceived stigma – individuals’ beliefs that people living on low incomes are treated unfairly by public services, decision makers and institutions such as the media.
It’s clear from the data that people across Wales recognise the existence of perceived stigma. More than 6 in 10 people across Wales think that people living on low incomes sometimes, often or always receive a lower standard of public service (63%) whilst more than 7 in 10 people think that politicians sometimes, often or always look down on people on low incomes (73%).
Whilst people across Wales recognise the existence of perceived stigma, it is people on low incomes who are most likely to report experiencing received stigma. More than 1 in 5 people living in households with an income of less than £20,000 sometimes, often or always experience people speaking down to them because they have no money (22%) compared to Welsh average which stands at 13%.
How can we reduce the stigma of poverty?
The root cause of people’s sense of stigma is poverty itself. It may be possible to reduce the prevalence of the stigma of poverty by taking action such as providing better training for staff. This could reduce the number incidences of staff talking down to people on low incomes, reducing stigma. To make a more significant difference however, there is a need to look at the relationship between stigma and the structural causes of poverty.
Stigma is not just a consequence of poverty, it can also exacerbate its impact and push people into deeper poverty and trap them in poverty for longer. If the deterioration in a person’s mental health leads to them reducing their work hours their risk of living in deeper poverty increases. Someone choosing to not claim their benefits will be facing greater financial hardship than if they claimed all the support they are entitled to. Children who are absent from school due to stigma will find it more difficult to get the best grades, increasing their risk of living in poverty in adulthood. The actions taken to address stigma should focus on areas such as these.
An example of where action could be taken is in making it easier for people to apply for benefits through the social security system. There is a body of evidence that shows that having to fill in several application forms and speak to various advisors and assessors can deepen the stigma of poverty, leading to people not claiming the support they are entitled to. Streamlining the process of applying for support could address these barriers, boosting take up of benefits and reducing stigma. The Welsh Government is already taking welcome action on this with its local authority partners as part of its work to develop a Welsh Benefits System. This work must continue at pace to develop a solution that works for everyone in Wales.
Another space where action could be taken is within our schools. Why is it that some schools are still requiring pupils to wear expensive school uniforms or organising extremely costly school trips? Not only do these requirement and activities deepen the sense of stigma felt by children, they undermine other Welsh Government policies that are designed to reduce stigma such as the provision of free school meals on a universal basis. If schools are not willing to take the lead on these issues or to follow guidance, then there is a case for the Welsh Government and local authorities to take tougher measures.
These steps by themselves are unlikely to solve poverty or eradicate the impact of its stigma, but they will make a significant difference to people’s lives. By taking these measures alongside other interventions such as investing in a new generation of social housing and improving access to childcare, it is possible to shift the dial on poverty and to reduce its stigma.
Dr Steffan Evans is Head of Policy (Poverty) for the Bevan Foundation