Attempts to harness social capital currently follow the 'macro-level' route of developing the present range of community-based groups rather than the 'micro-level' route of facilitating one-to-one reciprocity. To evaluate the implications of harnessing social capital in this manner, this paper draws upon case study evidence from rural England. It shows that community-based groups are used primarily as sociability vehicles for higher income populations. Lower income households, perceiving these groups to be for people other than them, instead rely on one-to-one reciprocal exchange that they use to access material support. However, given that a large minority of these lower income households is unable to access one-to-one reciprocity, the paper concludes by outlining various policy initiatives that can develop their social capital by this micro-level route.