Targeting literacy support and boosting financial literacy with Experian

Since 2017, the National Literacy Trust and Experian have worked together to address literacy inequity in the UK.

Collaboratively, we have targeted literacy support in the communities where it is needed most, equipped more young people with the words, knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their money, and shaped the long-term strategic direction of our work.

Targeting literacy support

In 2017, Experian worked with the National Literacy Trust to co-develop a literacy vulnerability score to help target our work where it can make the biggest difference.

The score was built by combining Experian’s extensive data expertise with our deep understanding of the socioeconomic factors most closely associated with low literacy, such as education, income and unemployment.

It not only shows the extent to which literacy challenges are embedded in the social fabric of the country, but also pinpoints the literacy needs of every parliamentary constituency in England, right down to electoral ward level. In 2022, Experian updated the data.

The literacy vulnerability score has enabled us to continually target our work in the communities where it is needed most. As a result, we are currently working in 20 local areas where low literacy and poverty are seriously impacting people’s lives.

We also use insights from the literacy vulnerability score, and analysis of the local factors behind it, to provide tailored briefings to MPs to help them better understand and respond to the specific literacy challenges in their constituencies.

Boosting financial literacy with Words that Count

For children and young people to thrive in the modern world, functional literacy skills and financial capability are increasingly vital. Yet, many young people today simply don’t have the literacy skills to be confident in managing their finances.

Our research shows that young people who have good reading skills are four times more likely to have good financial skills than their peers who have poor reading skills. However, large gaps exist in young people’s literacy and financial capability, with those from disadvantaged communities disproportionately affected.

Since 2021, we have worked with Experian to equip more young people with the words, knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their money through our Words that Count programme and digital campaign.

To date, the programme has directly empowered close to 1,000 UK young people to feel more confident and informed about making their own financial decisions. While our influencer-led digital campaign reached more than 16 million young people and parents with informative videos that demystified key financial terms and topics and aimed to build financial resilience.

Read our latest evaluation report.

Driving our strategy forward

As a founding member of our Business Council, Experian continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the long-term strategic direction of our work to address literacy inequity in the UK.

Experian is also a longstanding signatory of the Vision for Literacy Business Pledge, committing to taking action where they can have the biggest impact on raising literacy levels – in their workplaces, in the communities where they work and by contributing to national campaigns.

Looking to the future

We are immensely proud of everything we have achieved together and look forward to continuing our important work, increasing our reach and impact and helping more people change their life stories.

Opportunities for partnership

By working in partnership with us, you can make a real difference to raising UK literacy levels.

Email partnerships@literacytrust.org.uk to find out more.