The Greater Manchester Poverty Commission

by 
FINDINGS
29th August 2013.

The Greater Manchester Poverty Commission was established in 2012 to identify the nature of poverty within the Greater Manchester region and identify practical solutions to improve the lives of those residents living in poverty.

Chaired by the previous Bishop of Manchester and initiated by a number of Greater Manchester’s MPs, the Commission included representatives from the public, private and commercial sectors.  This included key stakeholders with expertise in: community and faith; advice and welfare; trades unions; social housing; business; the public sector; and the media.

The Commission undertook an ambitious programme of evidence gathering in order to fully understand the extent and nature of poverty in Greater Manchester.  Using the evidence which was collected, the Poverty Commission sought to answer the following questions:

  • What does poverty mean to Greater Manchester residents?
  • What changes result in a person moving into poverty?
  • What is it like to be in poverty?
  • What are the barriers and obstacles that keep individuals in poverty?
  • What needs to change for poverty to be alleviated?

CLES was invited to support the activities of the Commission through conducting research and data analysis. Our work involved collating statistical information on the elements of poverty most prevalent in Greater Manchester and analysing the evidence gathered from testimonies and interviews with residents experiencing poverty.