Earlier this year the UK government made a commitment to raise benefits in line with inflation, a commitment that would have provided a lifeline to families on the lowest income. Right now, however – less than six months later - they seem set to backtrack on this promise.
Not only will this decision having devastating impacts on children in the country, but it is also deeply unpopular with the public. A new YouGov poll for JRF reveals that 61% of people support raising benefits by inflation.
To try and create support for this deeply unpopular move, some political figures have been making comments that perpetuate the stigma that families in poverty face and trying to pitch ‘working families’ against those on social security. A rhetoric that anti-poverty organisations need to counter, otherwise it lays the groundwork for policies that can do a lot of harm
But how do we do we change the narratives around child poverty?
Here at Save The Children we've been doing research to better understand how key swing audiences understand child poverty, and how to help foster more empathy for families on low incomes. Essentially what narrative helps them put less blame on parents and support more state assistance.
The narrative we developed showed a growth in support for increasing Universal Credit for families with children, with that growth in support being biggest with those who voted Conservative in 2019, whose support grew 26%.
If you want to use our research to create a better mainstream narrative for children in poverty, all you have to do is make sure it SPEAKS
S is for Setback
Tell stories and give examples that highlight the setbacks people can have. Emphasise the role of bad luck, especially as a consequence of COVID-19 and cost-of-living which are relatable to many different families, and talk about families who never thought they would struggle before now.
This helps move audiences away from thinking poverty is a result of personal choice.
P is for Poverty Drivers
Child poverty is not just about bad luck, it’s also about systems. So, it important to point to poverty drivers.
Rising living costs. Unstable work. Low wages. Show how more and more families feel stuck by a lack of financial options that limit children’s lives and futures.
E is for Effects On Children
Explore the effects that poverty has on children by sharing stories of unmet basic needs AND their impact on their mental health and wellbeing, for example this recent story on how the cost-of-living crisis is making children more stressed. Draw attention the impact on children’s futures - our key audiences had particularly felt for stories that showed the inequality, poor physical and mental health and discrimination that children faced.
Both parts are vital not just because they hit key empathy areas, but also because talking about a lack of 'things' (e.g. no having enough to eat, or ill-fitting clothes) is a relatable entry-point but focuses on short-term solutions.
Bringing in the longer term impact of poverty on children increases empathy and points to longer-term solutions.
A is for Attributes of Parents
Audiences like to the aspirations parents have for their children and how parents try to alleviate the impact of poverty on their children. This helps them relate to the families and see less of a 'us' and 'them' frame.
K is for Kinds of Families
Also think about the kinds of families being represented. All families can tell their story and deserves support, but audiences had particular sympathy for families who:
- have lost (such as losing a job or loved one who provided support)
- are in poor housing
- are working, especially if they are dealing with more than one job or working long and unstable hours
- don’t qualify (those teetering on the edge but qualify for lots of support)
- are without support systems (such as single parents, families that can’t afford childcare, families that don’t have networks to help them)
This doesn’t mean that families that don’t fit those criteria shouldn’t be represented but there might be elements of their story that are helpful to highlight to generate more empathy for their situation and support for them.
And last but not least…
S is for Solutions
We have to provide solutions so we can present poverty as escapable and solvable, whether its asking for Universal Credit and other benefits to raise in-line with inflation, or something much bigger. This avoids triggering subconscious fear and consequent disengagement with the topic.
Want to know more?
This is just a whistle-stop tour of our research around child poverty narratives. There is much more detail in our report Battling The Blame Game: Exploring New Narratives On Child Poverty
But this also isn’t the end, we’re continuing our research and will keep testing our narrative to make sure it works. If you want to hear more about this work, or discuss what our findings might mean for your work, please get in touch by emailing me at [email protected]
