The UK government announced on 9 September 2026 that it would establish its first dedicated Class Unit, led by Minister for Women and Equalities Bridget Phillipson. According to the Office for Equality and Opportunity, the unit would sit within that office alongside units on race, women, LGBT+ and disability, and would focus on working-class people's experiences of public services, health disparities and access to employment.

The announcement said the Social Mobility Commission would close as part of a wider review of arm's length bodies. The government said one of the unit's early priorities would be introducing the socio-economic duty, a power in the Equality Act that would legally require public bodies to consider how to improve the lives of lower-income families in decisions on issues such as transport, services and budgets.

Phillipson said the government had been "squeamish about class for too long" and cited exam results and life expectancy as areas of entrenched inequality. The government also listed earlier measures, including lifting the two-child limit and expanding free school meals for children on universal credit. The commission's closure reflected the government's view that fixing national inequalities is a core responsibility of the state.