Review question 3: What works to increase access/uptake for people in poverty?

Cliciwch yma am y Gymraeg

Using the list of services identified in the literature as most important for poverty alleviation, we reviewed interventions aimed at increasing uptake of these services to identify key factors that help increase uptake and improve access for people in poverty. We organise our findings by the two main groups of interventions described in the previous section, child-centred interventions, and practical and financial support.

Child-centred interventions

We examined academic and grey literature, including case studies on effective interventions, to identify key factors that help increase access to and uptake of child-centred interventions including mentorship schemes, school enrichment programmes, extra-curricular activities, leisure services and youth services. We found three key approaches that can enable increased participation:

• Removing financial barriers;
• Providing a range of support and activities; and
• Collaboration between local actors to build trust.

Removing financial barriers

Participation in community settings and extra-curricular activities play an important role in supporting young people’s development. These activities help young people build team and social skills, which contribute to personal growth and future success. Research shows that skills gained through participation are linked to improved educational attainment, stronger involvement within local communities and increased social mobility and job prospects (Edwards et al., 2015; Social Mobility Commission, 2019).

However, such participation is frequently associated with additional cost. These may be direct costs, such as equipment or an admission charge, or indirect ‘hidden’ costs such as transport (SQW, 2025). Hidden costs such as transport may also contribute to physical accessibility barriers, as children may have to rely on family members or public transport to attend, and this is not always possible. Other hidden costs include subsistence, and activities such as raffles or stalls within free activities used to raise funding, which families may struggle to meet (McHardy, 2015; SQW, 2025).

Removing financial barriers is crucial for improving access to these services. In one English local authority, the removal of user fees combined with targeted outreach and marketing efforts resulted in a 64% increase in attendance at swimming and gym sessions over a six year period (Higgerson et al., 2018). A subsequent study found that free access to swimming pools during the summer holidays in deprived areas led to a 6% increase in children taking part, with 33 additional swims per 100 children (Higgerson et al., 2019). Evidence from Scotland also highlighted the value placed on free activities by parents living on low incomes in one local authority (McHardy, 2015). This illustrates how free or subsidised provision can help alleviate financial barriers to accessing services and lead to increased engagement.

Providing a range of support and activities

Child-centred interventions need to be designed around the needs and preferences of those participating. This includes providing activities that reflect the interest of boys and girls, and offering beginner-friendly activities to improve accessibility for those who may lack confidence of fitness (Local Government Association, 2024a). Culturally-specific activities, such as dance classes, can also help improve participation among minority groups, who typically have lower engagement levels (Local Government Association, 2024a). Similarly, sports typically seen as individual activities can be organised in group settings to provide young people with a space to socialise (Edwards et al., 2015).

School holiday-based enrichment programmes can also help improve school attendance, with the evaluation of the Welsh Government Food and Fun scheme finding an improvement in attendance of 7.3% following the implementation of an enrichment programme at one school in North Wales (Gdula and Williams, 2025). This programme provides children with two meals a day as well as activities including sports, cookery, creative arts and music (Welsh Local Government Association, 2025). Similarly, research by the Education Endowment Foundation found that a universal free breakfast club, delivered in 106 primary schools in England, led to an additional two months progress in children's attainment at Key Stages 1 and 2 (Van Poortvliet, Axford and Lloyd, 2018). The link between enrichment activities and attendance is particularly strong amongst children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Children living in poverty are more likely to have lower attendance and reduced access to enrichment opportunities, which can limit their educational and social development (Centre for Young Lives et al., 2025).

Combining food with activities can also help destigmatise accessing this type of support. A programme in Dundee, designed to tackle food insecurity during summer holidays found that combining free meals with free activities helped normalise and destigmatise food provision and participation in activities (Scottish Poverty & Inequality Research Unit, n.d.-a).

Collaboration between local actors to build trust

Engagement in activities is also affected by the provider of the activity and the location. Activities held in familiar and easily accessible locations lead to higher participation rates among children and young people (Edwards et al., 2015). Moreover, interviews with young people in five disadvantaged areas within England and Wales revealed that youth participation in extracurricular activities relies on trust in the provider, and feeling secure when attending (Edwards et al., 2015).

A coordinated approach is essential to engagement in child-centred interventions. Making enrichment activities widely available and fostering strong collaboration between schools, trusted organisations and community partners can improve attendance rates, personal development and educational attainment. Collaboration between schools and local providers have been shown to increase participation: they are also able to identify less engaged young people and develop tailored strategies to support their participation (Edwards et al. 2015; O’Donnell, 2019; Scottish Poverty & Inequality Research Unit, n.d.-a). This can ensure interventions are responsive to community need.

Involving volunteers and developing mentorship schemes can also boost participation. Mentorship schemes allow young people to act as role models, helping to build confidence and encourage participation, especially for those who may feel excluded (Social Mobility Commission, 2019). Attendance mentor programmes have been found to be effective in increasing school attendance. The Watchtower Project pilot in England, introduced attendance mentors who worked with students over a 20-week period to identify and overcome barriers to regular attendance: within a year, 50% of mentored students showed improved attendance (York Consulting LLP, 2024). The programme also helped strengthen relationships between schools and families. A key factor in its success was the independence of the mentors from the school system, which helped build trust and encouraged open communication without fear of judgement (York Consulting LLP, 2024).

Lastly, effective outreach and communication is essential to ensure that targeted schemes reach the young people for whom they are designed. Promoting activities within communities helps raise awareness and reduce stigma, especially when messaging is delivered by trusted local figures, which can also build trust and ensure sustained engagement with services (Nevin and Jacques, 2024; Local Government Association, 2024a).

Practical and financial support

Families often present to services on multiple occasions to access different services and benefits. However, this can reinforce the stigma and shame associated with accessing support and reinforce the notion that services are deliberately designed to be difficult to access.

Changes to practice and culture can enable the delivery of more integrated services. Data submitted to authorities to enable access to one service is often sufficient to enable access to others. Better integration of provision could reduce the number of occasions families are required to apply for services and benefits, increase awareness of what support is available, and reduce the stigma associated with access.

A review of the literature highlights a range of interventions that have been proposed or adopted to enable families to better access financial support. These interventions can be broadly organised into five different categories, based on how they are accessed: services for all, targeted outreach, personalised communication, apply once, and auto-enrolment, as described in Table 3 below.

Local authorities have used a range of interventions in these categories and built on existing services, partnerships and processes to determine what is already working well and what can be integrated and adapted to increase uptake and support families. There is already effort in Wales to make it easier to apply for benefits (Welsh Government, 2024b), however local authorities can also consider measures to complement this effort and facilitate more integration, especially between the public and voluntary sectors.

Table 3: Types of interventions enabling access to practical and financial support

Services for all

‘Services for all’ refers to practices which affect everyone, including how the council communicates to residents, and services which are offered and marketed universally.

Council tax bills are one example of where communications aimed at everyone can be adapted to increase uptake of services designed to tackle poverty. Ensuring communications are not confusing or outdated, while signposting to support services on offer can help to reduce stress and increase awareness (Murray and Smith, 2024).

Stigmatised terminology can also make services appear less welcoming. For example, a pilot intervention in Angus, Scotland, found the term ‘welfare rights advice’ was stigmatising. In contrast, ‘financial wellbeing’ was found to promote a more informal and empowering approach (Scottish Poverty & Inequality Research Unit, n.d.-b). Working with communities to understand the terminology that is most empowering for them is important to ensure that groups are not deterred from accessing services.

To increase engagement with support services, communications should also be empathetic and acknowledge hardship, and the circumstances people may find themselves in (Improvement Service, 2022). Some Scottish local authorities have also partnered with local Citizens Advice Bureaux to add QR codes to council tax bills and reminder letters on available support for financial wellbeing (Clackmannanshire Citizens Advice Bureau, 2024).

Several pilot interventions have also sought to change the setting where services are delivered to build on existing strong and trusted relationships, which are important for referring residents to advice services and encouraging them to attend. Most in-person services take place in an office or other formal environment, though efforts have been made to move service provision to schools and healthcare settings, including GP practices and maternity wards.

Evaluations of these interventions indicate several benefits including improved physical accessibility, increased confidence in accessing other public services and financial gain for participants (Naven, Whittington and Egan, 2012; Carrick et al., 2016; Cruywagen and McNulty, 2022). Named personal contacts and systematic data sharing between services were highlighted as key reasons for the success of co-locating advice workers in schools in Glasgow (Cruywagen and McNulty, 2022). Where there is data sharing and transfer of cases across services, standardised templates can help reduce stigma, as people do not have to share their ‘story’ multiple times. Moreover, this can also reduce bureaucracy, encourage efficiency and help enable the involvement of the voluntary sector.

Targeted outreach

Local authorities can aim to target groups more likely to be eligible or in need of support. This is often done when people access one form of support, which can be provided by either the public or voluntary sectors. Interventions in this category tend to either involve changing existing processes or simplifying referral processes to other services.

Based on learning from a scheme in Scotland, “Worrying About Money” leaflets have been produced for 98 different local authority areas in England, and four Welsh local authorities, including Rhondda Cynon Taf (Independent Food Aid Network, 2025). These leaflets are co-produced and prioritise a cash-first approach which is generally considered empowering for families and effectively tackle stigma (Robertson et al., forthcoming). They are provided in a variety of community settings including food banks, advice services, primary care settings and public buildings.

A review of the initial Scottish project found the approach minimised the energy needed to seek support as information was presented in one resource. It also increased confidence in the availability of support by featuring local organisations considered to be more approachable and less bureaucratic (Wildman, Hamid and Biggs, 2024).

In Greater Manchester, a Money Advice Referral Tool was also developed, providing similar information based on the Scottish project, and received similar positive feedback about providing information on one sheet and being easy to use (Griss, 2022).

In both systems, frontline workers are trained on how to effectively use the tools, with central contacts championing the use of the tool to increase dissemination. Staff are also encouraged to make referrals while supporting the client, rather than just signposting, and to track these on a central monitoring system.

Another example of targeting support at specific groups comes from Renfrewshire Council in Scotland. Since 2023, the council added questions to its online application form for free school meals and school clothing grants to promote services focused on income maximisation and financial wellbeing.

Applicants are provided with details of support provided by Advice Works, a council service aiming to provide free, confidential and independent money and debt advice. They are also asked three questions (Scottish Poverty & Inequality Research Unit, n.d.-c):

• Would you like an advice worker to check you are getting all the benefits that you are entitled to?
• Do you find it difficult to pay your debts?
• Do you think you would find some advice on money management helpful?

Those who answer “yes” to any of these three questions are then contacted by Advice Works to open a case. Around 27% of those applying initially ticked one of the boxes asking for support, and of these around 40% engaged with the support service, with some receiving additional income through the advice provided.

Targeted outreach interventions look to build on knowledge of the situations where people may benefit from support and tend to prioritise cash-first approaches. The two examples featured highlight that this can be done through effective partnership working between the public and voluntary sector to ensure a wide range of people can access support, as well as by making changes to internal practice to offer additional support.

Personalised communication

Rather than targeting specific groups who may already be accessing some form of support, personalised communication narrows that to specific individuals, often using organisational data or professional knowledge to determine who is in most need of support. This involves reaching out to specific individuals, informing them that they are eligible for a certain type of support based on a predetermined need.

Three local authorities in Scotland have partnered with local Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) on a collaborative project aiming to address council tax arrears, with this scheme since being extended to six other areas (Scottish Government, 2024). A referral form was developed so the local authority could pass clients to CAB, as they no longer have a dedicated debt advice and support team, and it was not feasible to support those struggling in house (Clackmannanshire Citizens Advice Bureau, 2024).

The local authority revenues department also identified those of the forty highest debtors who could be considered financially vulnerable – they were sent a letter offering free and impartial advice from CAB on addressing the arrears. While the intervention was not formally evaluated, internal case management data suggests there was an increase in clients attending the bureau with council tax issues (Clackmannanshire Citizens Advice Bureau, 2024).

Local authorities have both the data and the direct financial relationship to identify those in financial difficulty with council tax arrears and manage this in an inclusive way – providing personalised communication which offers support either from within the council or from a trusted partner (Gibbons and Walker, 2019).

Bristol City Council also utilised central government funding to provide a personalised communication intervention which aimed to prevent homelessness. A new team was developed within the Welfare Rights and Money Advice Service in the council, and a predictive model was developed to allow at risk cases to be identified early, based on data already known to the Council (Knight et al., 2018). While data from multiple sources was planned, it proved difficult to obtain data sharing agreements. Consequently, only Housing Benefit data was used for the initial phase.

Support was then provided to residents at their home, including help in accessing benefits, liaising with landlords, and appeals. Placing this outreach service alongside the existing financial wellbeing team meant residents reported it had a different image to other council housing services (Knight et al., 2018). Creating a holistic team able to reach out to those identified most to be at risk can help effectively channel resources in preventing homelessness.

Apply once

In many cases, families repeatedly provide the same information to different services across different application forms. Approaches which encourage people to apply once employ the principles of passporting, where eligibility for one scheme automatically entitles someone to other benefits. This aims to reduce complexity of effort, including understanding what is available, what the eligibility criteria are and how they apply, and filling in multiple forms.

In England, several local authorities, including Gateshead and Coventry, process applications for free school meals as part of a single application process for other benefits, including Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction (Feeding Britain, 2025). Applicants are informed that their application will be used to assess their eligibility for free school meals, if they consent to doing so.

North Ayrshire Council in Scotland have also piloted a Single Shared Assessment model, to access multiple forms of support via a single contact form (Scottish Poverty & Inequality Research Unit, n.d.-d). Setting up processes for data sharing and consent were initially highly complicated, due to the number of teams administering different entitlements across the local authority (Scottish Government, 2025). Over time, multiple processes were set up, allowing those applying for free school meals and the School Clothing Grant to consent to their data being used to assess further entitlements, as well as a council tax discounts and exemptions combined into a single form. Currently, the final stage of the form is being developed to allow those applying for all means tested processes to consent to a further entitlements check (Scottish Poverty & Inequality Research Unit, n.d.-d).

Local authorities across the UK are making moves to integrate different forms of support, combining applications to allow data to be shared across the council, and where relevant, partner organisations who provide support services. However, it is acknowledged that while this is useful for residents, it still falls short of a system which maximises take-up. Targeted outreach or personalised communication is still needed to reach those who currently do not engage with their local authority (Feeding Britain, 2025).

Auto-enrolment

Auto-enrolment puts the onus of responsibility on the service provider, removing the need for the resident to complete an application. Approaches are typically data-driven and register people automatically if they are found to be eligible, with those enrolled typically given the offer to withdraw consent if they do not wish to participate.

Researchers in England are working with local authorities to develop auto-enrolment for free school meals, (Feeding Britain, 2025). This model has been implemented in Sheffield since 2016, where families with children identified as being potentially eligible from welfare data are informed that the council will apply on their behalf unless they respond otherwise, leading to over one thousand extra applicants for free school meals, and additional Pupil Premium funding for schools (Bryant et al., 2025).

However, this process requires time and willingness to overcome significant challenges relating to both legality of proactively contacting families and accessing data (Feeding Britain, 2025). Once acquired, processing the data can also take several weeks, and results from pilots in England indicate that the exercise should be repeated annually, as the reduction in identified pupils year-on-year is not as large as initially anticipated (Bryant et al., 2025).

As the Welsh Government have introduced universal free school meals for primary school children, it may be increasingly difficult to encourage registration for free school meals, despite registered families being eligible for the School Essentials Grant, and the additional funding awarded to schools through the Pupil Development Grant, paid via local authorities. Therefore, auto-enrolment could help to encourage increased registration, maximising benefits for both families and schools.

In England, local authorities have also explored the ability to collaborate with utility companies to register eligible residents on social tariffs. One example includes Thames Water, who have piloted a scheme with two London boroughs and Policy in Practice, to automatically assess low-income customers in water arrears (Chessell and Ghelani, 2025). This intends to replace a manual application form which requires awareness of the social tariff in the first place.

Data from the local authority and Department for Work and Pensions are matched to assess eligibility for a social tariff, using Policy in Practice as a third party, to alleviate concerns over data sharing. Around 1,200 customers are enrolled onto the scheme, distributing an estimated £500,000 savings over a year (Chessell and Ghelani, 2025). Some residents were also found to be in both water and council tax arrears, and therefore offered to receive extra support and advice.

These examples highlight the potential of auto-enrolment to reach groups who would not otherwise engage with services, removing barriers related to both language and awareness to deliver significant positive outcomes for residents (Chessell and Ghelani, 2025). However, as highlighted, there are significant challenges in initiating auto-enrolment schemes, relating to the access and use of data.

Key Points

• Based on identified barriers to access, and who is responsible for delivery, we reviewed the evidence in two areas: child-centred interventions and practical and financial support for families.
• We found three key approaches to increase participation in child-centred interventions: removing financial barriers, providing a range of support and activities, and collaboration between local actors to build trust.
• Supporting families to access practical and financial support can involve changing services to ensure their practices are not stigmatising and integrating services to facilitate access. A range of interventions can be applied, including adapting communications, targeting outreach, and changing application processes to ensure families do not have to share the same information multiple times.
• Local authorities elsewhere have implemented a range of child-centred interventions and practical and financial support for families. This has typically built on strengths within existing services, processes and partnerships to determine what is already working well and what can be integrated and adapted to increase uptake and support families.
• Presented with the option of exploring one of the two areas further, Working Group Members selected practical and financial support for further investigation.

Read the next section: Review questions 4 and 5: What practical and financial support services are currently delivered in RCT and what is the uptake?