A Minimum Digital Living Standard for households with children: Overall findings report

The Minimum Digital Living Standard (MDLS) project addresses this question through a novel household-based assessment of digital needs. This mixed-methods project was funded by the Nuffield Foundation, Nominet, and the Welsh Government, and used a combination of approaches:

• It drew on the Minimum Income Standard (MIS) methodology to develop (through a series of focus groups with members of the public) a definition of MDLS which set out what the standard should encompass and established a ‘minimum basket of digital goods, services, and skills’ that households with dependent-age children need to meet this standard.

• It used a UK-wide survey and statistical and geographic evaluations of MDLS to explore correspondence with other social, economic, cultural, and digital metrics and to assess regional variations.

• It included in-depth group consultations with stakeholders (e.g. individuals and people from local and national public, private, and third-sector organisations). These explored the relevance of the standard regarding key dimensions of lived experience and intersectionality, such as disability, ethnicity, rurality, and poverty.

• It involved ongoing engagement with government, regional, public, and third-sector organisations to explore the use of MDLS as a tool to inform policy development.

• Additional focus groups with members of the public, interviews with stakeholders, and in-depth interviews with families were conducted in Wales (funded by the Welsh Government).

This report brings together findings from the qualitative and quantitative elements of the MDLS research. In doing so, the report underscores the centrality of MDLS in enhancing digital inclusion in the UK. We note that this fits with the UN’s global Sustainable Development Goals to reduce inequalities, ensure quality education, and promote inclusive societies.