For decades, policymakers in the UK and across the developed world have repeated a simple mantra: more education leads to more equality. Education, we’ve been told, is the great leveller—the ladder by which anyone can rise, regardless of background.
But the evidence now shows that this is, at best, only half true.
A recent study of 19 advanced economies between 1990 and 2017 found a striking pattern: in the early stages, investment in human capital—more schooling, higher returns to education—reduced inequality. Yet at later stages, the opposite occurred. Gains clustered in the hands of those already advantaged, widening the gap. Add the force of globalisation, which has concentrated wealth in global cities and financial centres, and inequality expands further still.
This is the paradox of progress. The very tools we expect to democratise opportunity can, beyond a certain point, harden the barriers between rich and poor.
Why This Matters for the UK
The UK is firmly in that “later stage.” We have world-class universities and one of the most highly educated populations in the OECD, yet also some of the highest levels of inequality. The benefits of human capital are not evenly spread; they flow disproportionately to those born with social and financial advantage.
Meanwhile, globalisation has tilted our economy towards finance and away from inclusive, broad-based prosperity. London thrives, but former industrial towns and rural communities struggle. For many, “growth” has meant little more than precarious work, stagnant wages, and diminished security.
The message is clear: human capital and globalisation alone will not fix inequality. Without targeted intervention, they will make it worse.
The GAME Plan as a Remedy
This is precisely why we must look beyond orthodox economics. At the Academy of Life Planning, we have developed the GAME Plan—a framework rooted in ancient wisdom yet powerfully relevant today.
- Goals: Identify what matters most in life, not just money.
- Actions: Translate those goals into practical steps for growth and security.
- Means: Harness both financial and human capital—skills, resilience, creativity—to build sustainable livelihoods.
- Execution: Deliver consistently, with accountability and support.
Unlike conventional financial planning, which often serves only the affluent, the GAME Plan is accessible, transparent, and community-driven. It recognises that wealth is not just a matter of pounds and pensions but of human potential.
Why Disadvantaged Communities Must Come First
If we want to narrow inequality, the GAME Plan must be delivered where it is needed most—to disadvantaged communities who have been left behind by the paradox of progress.
These communities don’t lack intelligence or aspiration. They lack access—to networks, to role models, to tools that connect their goals with sustainable means. Traditional education has not bridged this gap, because it was never designed to. The GAME Plan can.
By empowering individuals to plan their lives before planning their money, we give them the agency to:
- Develop income-generating skills rather than depend solely on financial capital.
- Build resilience against economic shocks, from job loss to financial exploitation.
- Cultivate purpose, balance, and well-being alongside material security.
This is not charity—it is empowerment. And it is the only way to prevent human capital from becoming yet another mechanism of exclusion.
My Intention
This research strengthens my resolve. If human capital at scale can deepen inequality, then the solution is not to abandon it, but to redirect it deliberately. The GAME Plan is designed for that purpose: to democratise access to planning, to place powerful tools in the hands of those who have historically been denied them, and to create sustainable livelihoods rooted in dignity and autonomy.
I intend to deliver the GAME Plan into disadvantaged communities across the UK and beyond. It is here, not in the boardrooms of the financial elite, that we will find the greatest untapped wealth—the human capital of ordinary people, waiting to be empowered.
If policymakers are serious about reducing inequality, they must look beyond GDP, beyond headline education targets, and beyond the false comfort of trickle-down. They must invest in frameworks that deliver autonomy, opportunity, and fairness where it matters most.
The GAME Plan is one such framework. And the time to act is now.
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What You’ll Gain
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How To Begin
Step into the AoLP Community
→ Aaccess to resources, events, and a peer network redefining the future of planning.
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