EXPERT HUB – REPORT: UNDERSTANDING DIGITAL POVERTY AND INEQUALITY IN THE UK

by: Inclusive Growth Contributor | on: 11.10.23 | in: Inclusive Growth, Science and Technology

By Dr Alex Mankoo, The British Academy

Understanding Digital Poverty and Inequality in the UK (Evidence Report):

In 2022, the British Academy commissioned six projects that examined different aspects of digital poverty in the UK, to draw upon the vital insights from the SHAPE disciplines (social sciences, humanities, and the arts for people and the economy) to inform policy thinking around the crucial challenge of addressing inequality – and specifically, the relationship between digital technology and inequality – across the UK. Our synthesis report highlights the central themes and findings that emerge across the evidence base of outputs produced by the commissioned projects and uses these findings to identify six policy lessons to shape policy thinking on how to effectively address digital poverty and its impacts across the UK. The six policy lessons identified in the report are:

• Policy lesson 1: Addressing digital poverty involves more than improving access interventions must empower people and places to benefit from digital access.
• Policy lesson 2: Local resources and intermediaries can be valuable assets in tackling place-based digital poverty, and the public sector has a crucial role to play in enabling them.
• Policy lesson 3: Strategies to tackle digital poverty are important components of broader policies of tackling inequality.
• Policy lesson 4: Policies should consider how and why intersecting inequalities are likely to exacerbate digital poverty, and design interventions that can benefit those most at risk of digital poverty.
• Policy lesson 5: People can move in and out of digital poverty over time.
• Policy lesson 6: Consider policy interventions that can adapt to demographic and economic changes, through consistent and long-term investment.

You can view the full feedback report here:
https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/publications/understanding-digital-poverty-and-inequality-in-the-uk/