Let’s not forget rural communities…

The current piece of research I am leading at the Bevan Foundation is looking into the impact of changes and reductions to the benefits system on people in Wales. Central to this is ensuring that the research is representative of different groups of people, living in different localities of Wales. The impact of the changes and reductions is likely to be unevenly felt by different groups across different localities. People will experience the changes differently according to their age, gender, family type, and where they live. This week, on my trip to a remote rural community, it became very clear to me that those living in the most isolated parts of Wales are likely to be one of those groups who feel the impact the most.

People living in rural communities are some of the most overlooked groups in Wales. Indeed, when visiting the rural community this week, I was struck by comments several people made about their surprise that somebody from Cardiff had taken the time to venture to where they live to ask them about their experiences. There was a sense from talking to people that they felt quite separate from the urban centre of Wales, where decisions are made that don’t necessarily always reflect their particular situations. Being given the chance to air their views made them highly vocal about why rural living is likely to mean any changes and reductions to benefits will affect them more than those in urban areas.

People in rural areas are likely to feel much higher basic living costs than those in urban areas – the daily essentials often come at a far higher price for rural communities. This makes them much more sensitive to even the smallest of drops to their income, which could make a big difference to their lives. Firstly, people’s food costs are higher. If you are lucky enough to have a shop then this is likely to be a small convenience store – which often charges higher prices than larger supermarkets. People in these communities often don’t have access to the value supermarkets that are in abundance within more urban areas. Secondly, it costs people more to get around. It’s often an essential need to have a car, which comes at a high cost to run as fuel prices are often much higher in rural areas. Unless people are lucky enough to have a fairly frequent bus, but then this also comes at a price. Thirdly some people will face much higher energy bills. Two of the people I spoke to this week had no mainline gas in their area, which meant they had hefty bills for the LPG used to heat their homes.

In addition to these tangible costs, people living in rural areas also face more hidden costs. They don’t have access to the same support, in terms of resources, advice services, initiatives, and social scaffolding that is evident in urban areas. Even seemingly small constraints can make a huge difference. If people don’t have their own internet access at home, there is often no local library where they can use the internet, which has become a necessity for finding work or accessing services.

However, it was also evident that the area I visited was a true community – people looked out for each other in ways that are unheard of in urban areas. But this doesn’t negate the struggles people face in rural communities, and the heightened difficulties different groups of people – young and old – will face as a result of changes to their benefits. When we consider the impact of changes and reductions to the benefits system, or indeed any change, we must not forget those living in the small rural communities of Wales, who are amongst those likely to feel the impact the most.

Michael Donnelly is Policy and Research Officer at the Bevan Foundation