Exploring the impact of disability onset on individual wellbeing in the UK

The proposal builds on disability research using longitudinal data internationally (see Meyer and Mok, 2013; Polidano and Vu 2015) and previous analysis of the British Household Panel Survey (Oswald and Powdthavee, 2008; Powdthavee, 2009). The aim is to provide contemporary UK evidence based on Understanding Society which surveys about 40,000 households regularly since 2010. The research will explore the impact of disability onset on income, deprivation, consumption, financial situation (e.g. debt and savings) and subjective wellbeing. In using longitudinal data it will trace how the impact develops pre-onset, at onset and the extent to which it persists. It will consider factors affecting this, including the timing of onset during the life-course, the role of disability benefit income and the impact of other
household members.