The constitutional flux of devolution alongside the changing nature of social security can make it difficult to understand the landscape in which decisions about social security entitlement are made. Students come to the subject with varying degrees of insight and willingness to discuss what can be controversial or sensitive issues. The core focus is on understanding poverty and it is on this aspect that student feedback is most profound, reflecting significant shifts in analytic ability that generates high quality engagement with the full range of resources that frame effective discussions.