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Using the FRS to measure material deprivation in families with children. Stephen McKay s.d.mckay@bham.ac.uk University of Birmingham FRS User Group 10 June 2010. Measuring deprivation. Indirect , Income-based measures HBAI, poverty series
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Using the FRS to measure material deprivationin families with children Stephen McKay s.d.mckay@bham.ac.uk University of Birmingham FRS User Group 10 June 2010
Measuring deprivation • Indirect, Income-based measures • HBAI, poverty series • Direct measures, including indicators of material deprivation • Included on FRS since 2004/05 Recent policy focus => interest in non-financial measures, and the situation of the very poorest?
Deprivation indicators • Townsend (1979), survey in 1968-69 • Critique by Piachaud (1981) • Breadline Britain surveys, and related studies • 1983; 1990; 1999; & 2002-3 in NI • Have this OR don’t have & don’t want OR don’t have and cannot afford it • Incorporation as a DWP measure for child poverty (e.g. in Child Poverty Act 2010).
Selection of questions for FRS • 1999 PSE Study provided information on a very wide range of indicators (Gordon et al 2000) • Study in 2003 identified a shorter set that could do most (~92%)of the same job • Set of 11 adult/family questions • Set of 10 child-focused questions • Both sets included in DWP material deprivation measure • Question on arrears on various commitments • Not part of the DWP measure • Questions recently being revised (5 year time horizon)
DWP approach • Merging of adult and child data into a single index • Summed according to prevalence (more weight to items that more people have) rather than actual number lacked • Weights now change each year, originally fixed at baseline year • A threshold set as indicating deprivation (score of 25 on a 0-100 scale)
‘Adult’ [SERNUM. BENUNIT, PERSON] ‘Job’ [SERNUM. BENUNIT, PERSON, JOBTYPE] ‘Family’ [SERNUM. BENUNIT] ‘Child’ [SERNUM. BENUNIT, PERSON] ‘Family’ [SERNUM. BENUNIT] FRS data structure – deprivation questions are at ‘benunit’ level Household [SERNUM] + So, results can be for households, families or individuals (or adults or children). Many other files for pensions, housing: N=26 files.
Deepening definition of material deprivation among families – lone parenthood
Deepening definition of material deprivation among families – DDA disability
Other significant differences • High risks of deprivatoin • Workless or unemployed • Child with a health problem (maybe partly reflecting larger families) • Living in London, West Midlands, North-West • Not married • Strong link to arrears on household commitments
Logits on most deprived – selected coefficients (odds ratios), all p<0.01
Some conclusions • Excellent source for tracking material deprivation among families • Time series since 2004-05, other studies tend to be ad hoc, or fewer indicators (BHPS) • Limited exploitation of child vs adult measures, and of the arrears indicators • Good starting sample sizes • Possible to focus in on the most deprived, or look at a wider group, and to combine with income