The government has announced the creation of its first dedicated Class Unit, which will focus on improving life chances for working-class people. Minister for Women and Equalities, Bridget Phillipson, stated that the new unit will bring social mobility work into the heart of government.
The Social Mobility Commission (SMC) is set to close as part of a wider government review of arm’s length bodies. The government's view is that addressing national inequalities is a core responsibility of the state, with ministers accountable for driving progress.
The new Class Unit will sit within the Office for Equality and Opportunity, alongside existing units for race, women, LGBT+, and disability. Its early priorities include introducing a socio-economic duty, a new power in the Equality Act that will legally require public bodies to consider how to improve the lives of lower-income families.
The unit will also focus on working-class people’s experiences of public services, health disparities, and access to employment. The formal closure of the SMC will require legislative change, and in the interim, the government will continue to support the SMC to deliver its annual State of the Nation report.