The Social Justice Commission

About the Commission

Nearly twenty years on since the Centre for Social Justice was founded, the CSJ embarked on an ambitious cross-party review of the state of social justice today: the Social Justice Commission.

The Social Justice Commission has conducted an unflinching inquiry into what life is like for those who are struggling the most in our nation in 2023. The Commission also heard from over 350 small charities, social enterprises and policy experts, and the Commission travelled to 3 nations of the UK and to over 20 towns and cities.
It was set up to examine:

• The deeply felt scars left on the most disadvantaged individuals and families by successive lockdowns.
• The nature of life for the most disadvantaged across the nation
• And question whether the policy initiatives designed to address poverty in our communities are fit for purpose.

The Commission’s interim report, ‘Two Nations: The State of Poverty in the UK’, was published in December 2023. It reported that the UK is in danger of sliding back into the “Two Nations” of the Victorian era marked by a widening gulf between mainstream society and a depressed and poverty-stricken underclass. The most disadvantaged in Britain are no better off than 15 years ago – the time of the financial crash – and cites evidence that for them the jump from welfare into work is not worth it. The report also found that the pandemic lockdowns had a catastrophic effect on the nation’s social fabric, especially for the least well off, where the gap between the so-called “haves” and “have nots” was blown wide open.
The second stage of the Social Justice Commission’s work will consider a way forward, underpinned by a belief that addressing the social rifts still afflicting the country is key to reversing sluggish rates of economic growth and reducing the strain on our public services. It will report its solutions and policy recommendations in Spring 2024.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE

The Big Listen and other consultation

The Big Listen is a key part of the CSJ’s Social Justice Commission. We have travelled across the UK to learn from frontline charities and other local organisations about the challenges facing the poorest in their communities and the solutions to those problems. The lessons we learned from the back streets of Britain have been central to the Social Justice Commission’s report, ‘Two Nations: The State of Poverty in the UK’.

Big Listen events have taken place in Leeds, Cardiff, Manchester, Loughborough, London, Edinburgh and Newcastle.

Further details about the Big Listen events and attendees can be found in the Two Nations report.

The Social Justice Commission also made 27 visits to small charities, social enterprises and organisations. It heard from an additional 31 charities, social enterprises, Local Authorities, a police force and policy experts through virtual meetings and round tables. The Commission hosted eight lived experience focus groups, including those with lived experience of prison, addictions to illegal substances, long-term employment and mental ill health. The Commission also heard from other individuals who shared in depth their life stories with us, written up as 10 case studies. We also received 31 responses to our Call for Evidence.

The Commission conducted a national representative poll of 6,043 adults, in partnership with J. L. Partners, between 25 August and 2 October 2023. This poll had a boost of 3,021 of the most dpreived people across the nation, including innovative polling techniques ensure this boost sample included the views of those on the margins.

The Commissioners and Centre for Social Justice are very grateful for all organisations and people who contributed to the Social Justice Commission’s work.