Our Response to the Government’s Call for Evidence on the Socio-Economic Duty

By Jenny Hurst and Olivia Gearson

In Spring 2025, the government launched a call for evidence for the equality law, including exploring whether to bring into force the Socio-economic Duty in England. This part of the Equality Act 2010 would require certain public bodies to consider how their decisions could help reduce inequalities that result from socio-economic disadvantage. While this duty is already in force in Scotland and Wales, it has not yet been implemented in England.

We submitted a response as this issue directly affects the young people we work with, and they have valuable insights to offer.

To inform our submission, we held a focus group with young people who have experience of socio-economic disadvantage. They shared their perspectives on how background, opportunity, and identity intersect to shape access to education, employment, and political participation. Many also highlighted challenges they face in professional settings, such as feeling out of place due to accent, confidence, or social norms they weren’t taught at school or home.

Some key themes that emerged include:

• A lack of academic and careers support at school, especially around university applications and interview preparation.

• Barriers to entering politics and policymaking roles, including location, cost, and lack of networks.

• The impact of class on confidence and sense of belonging in higher education and the workplace.

• How socio-economic disadvantage often intersects with other aspects of identity, such as race and gender.

Our submission makes several practical recommendations based on these conversations. These include:

• Involving young people with lived experience in the design and evaluation of public policies.

• Improving access to education and professional development opportunities for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

• Including socio-economic background in data collection and reporting, alongside other diversity metrics.

We also expressed support for wider inclusion efforts, such as staff training on class and culture, and better pathways into public sector roles for people from a broader range of backgrounds.

At I Have A Voice, we support young people from underrepresented and marginalised backgrounds to engage with politics and policymaking. A key part of our work is amplifying their voices in the decision-making processes that affect them, whether through consultations, campaigns, or youth-led policy work. By responding to this call for evidence, we aimed to make sure the experiences of young people from less advantaged backgrounds were reflected in the debate about how public services can help reduce inequality. We’re proud to support them in making their voices heard. 

Read our entire response below!

Equality law call for evidence response.pdf

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