Work of the Social Mobility Commission (SMC) (2024-26 session)

Status / emerging findings

• Geographical disparities 'almost outweigh everything else': outer London offers best upward mobility for poor families; post-industrial and seaside areas face persistent poor outcomes tied to de-industrialisation.
• Girls academically outperform boys but employment outcomes do not reflect this; young women from disadvantaged backgrounds face unexamined barriers including care responsibilities, relationship quality, and lack of paternal support.
• Public and policymaker definitions of social mobility diverge sharply — public prioritises health, wellbeing, and social connectedness; economists/policymakers focus on occupation and income.
• Care responsibilities (childcare, elderly care) create significant but largely unanalysed barriers for young women, especially those unable to relocate or access further education due to welfare system constraints.
• Disability, sport, crime, and carer status are 'never really talked about' in social mobility policy despite playing material roles in blocking mobility.

Why it matters

If policymakers cannot see the barriers keeping people in poverty — geography, care duties, disability — they cannot fix them; this inquiry tests whether UK social mobility policy is built on incomplete data.

Tone arc

Inquiry began with standard examination of SMC remit but shifted toward critical examination of measurement gaps and policy blindspots; witnesses presented evidence that policymakers are not tracking or addressing known barriers, moving the committee from procedural to substantive scrutiny.

Key witnesses

Alun Francis OBE (Social Mobility Commission), Summer Nisar (Social Mobility Commission), Victoria Howard, Paul Gerrard, Sarah Atkinson, Social Mobility Foundation