Listening must shape policy: what social media can tell us about poverty
We need to make sure that we reach the people that have the power to tackle the root causes of poverty and really help people that are struggling with the issues we care about.
We have been proudly working in partnership with Demos for two years on a research project that uses social media listening to explore the experience and impact of poverty – and we have learnt so much on this journey! Last week Demos published the latest report which covers posts from three online forums across a three-month period from March-June 2025.
Hearing what people share about their experience on social media has proved to be integral in improving our knowledge and understanding of people and communities experiencing hardship, poverty and related issues, in the public and policy debate, on issues they have identified themselves. This approach is unique, and it clearly demonstrates a complexity of issues.
As well as issues and concerns that continue to be discussed throughout the previous waves, such as benefit enduring challenges, each wave brings new insights. Being able to draw on these current insights alongside other programmes of work and policy areas is all-important. How can the third sector really understand what is going on if they don’t hear these voices? How can MPs and other decision makers make well informed decisions if they don’t know what’s going on in real time?
Listening to what people are actually discussing with their peers, in real time, can help:
- MPs and Policy makers address this level of hardship
- Charities and third sector organisations tailor their advice and the support they offer
- Researchers understand and communicate the complexity of poverty
MPs and Policy makers need to hear from those on the sharp end of the policies they put forward; they will learn about everyday hardships and struggles that those living in financial hardship are facing right now. First-hand experience shows how so many current policies fail to meet people’s needs. They need to understand, empathise, and be able to address the problems that are being discussed in a non-stigmatising way. They need to demonstrate that they ‘get it’.
A major new theme this wave is employment – people are discussing just how unhappy they are at work, in relation to pay, work environment, and with how employers accommodate chronic health issues. They are saying how tough it is to job seek at the sharp end of the job market in 2025. These experiences of employment have important implications for a government interested in boosting productivity and economic growth, as well as for the detail of the Employment Rights Bill as it passes through Parliament imminently. Representing these voices is all the more important given current concerns about the bill being watered down.
We know that the support that charities can provide to people when they are really struggling is tremendous and invaluable. Organisations such as mental health charities, disability support, food banks, anti-hunger partnerships, community groups, those supporting people suffering with domestic abuse, to name a few, play a huge role in helping people navigate through the very difficult situations they are in.
This research could be used to really think about who they could partner with to provide a more effective service. An example of this kind of partnership could be a charity that can provide financial support, but that doesn’t have the skills or resources to offer emotional support, teaming up with a mental health charity and working together to help a lot more people who are really struggling. Tailored one-to-one support for people who are still concerned about Universal Credit bank reviews, or for those who are confused and concerned about migration from Employment and Support Allowance to Universal Credit for example, would also be invaluable.
By listening, and acting, we get one step closer to ensuring that every member of our society feels they have a voice that can affect change.
This is the second blog of three to accompany the recent launch. The first is here: Polls apart? A novel way of understanding financial hardship. If you’d like any more information about this project, do get in touch with [email protected] or [email protected]
Note: Our Grassroots Poverty Action Group (GPAG) are the Advisory Board for this piece of work – 15 people with direct experience of poverty from across the UK. Who better to suggest forums to look at or topics that may be discussed and reflect on whether what the researchers find resonates with their experience, making the research even stronger.
