The Commission’s role is to explore how poverty can be tackled, and it is vital that in doing so it hears from the lived experience of those in poverty and that their views and experiences shape both the Commission’s research agenda and outputs.

Rather than speaking for people in poverty, the Commission aims to draw on those experiences and feed them into all aspects of the Commission’s work. Working with partners at the Trussell Trust and ATD Fourth World, the Commission has already undertaken a significant participatory strategy, bringing together people in poverty with members of the Secretariat and Commissioners. To date, these sessions have focused on gaining a fuller understanding of the lived experiences of poverty, with the insights of people living in poverty being central to shaping and guiding the Commission’s new framework for tackling poverty outlined in its interim outputs.

The Commission’s approach to participatory research has focused on ensuring our research sessions to date have relationship building, trust and a common shared purpose at their core. As such, the Commission will continue engaging with its lived experience partners over the autumn to ensure the voices and experiences of those in poverty play a critical role in the the policy design process as the Commission develops the policy recommendations that will be included in the final report.