Measuring material deprivation among older people: Methodological study to revise the Family Resources Survey questions
Working Paper No. 54
by Stephen McKay
The objective of this project was to better understand how to measure material deprivation amongst older people in surveys. The report details findings from new quantitative work using omnibus questions on what are regarded as necessary items for older people, as well as new cognitive testing work, conducted by the National Centre for Social Research, to better understand how to ask older people about material deprivation. The report makes recommendations on the implementation of the new question block on the Family Resources Survey (FRS).
Readers are recommended to also consult DWP Working paper 55, Cognitive testing: older people and the FRS material deprivation questions (released at the same time), undertaken by the National Centre for Social Research, which provides greater detail on the cognitive testing study.
October 2008
ISBN 978 1 84712 443 2
(942 KB)