Chapter 5 - Changes experienced between Wave One and Wave Two, Life Opportunities Survey - Wave Two Report, Part 1

Chapter 5 – Changes experienced between Wave One and Wave Two

This section provides information about the changes in economic activity status, income and participation restriction experienced by adults with an impairment at both waves and those who experienced an offset or onset of impairment at Wave Two.

5.1 Changes in Economic Activity

The following table shows the economic activity status at Wave One and Wave Two for adults with an impairment at both waves and those who experienced an offset or onset of impairment at Wave Two. This analysis is shown for adults of working age only (aged 16-64).

The largest proportion of working age adults with impairment at both waves were economically inactive at both Wave One and Wave Two (46 per cent) and a smaller percentage of these adults (39 per cent) were employed at both waves. Although the majority of adults who experienced an offset or onset of impairment at Wave Two also fell into these two categories, they were more likely to be in employment than be economically inactive (61 per cent of offset adults and 62 per cent of onset-acquired adults were employed at both waves, with 22 per cent per cent of offset adults and 20 per cent of onset-acquired adults being economically inactive at both waves).

There has been little movement in economic activity status for the three groups between Wave One and Wave Two. For adults with impairment at both waves, a total of 43 per cent of these adults were employed at Wave One, and also at Wave Two. For offset adults, 65 per cent were employed at Wave One, and 69 per cent were employed at Wave Two. The corresponding figures for onset-acquired adults are 70 per cent and 68 per cent respectively. The small differences seen in the percentage of onset-acquired and offset adults employed at each wave are not significantly different at the 95 per cent level however the direction of movement may give some indication of changes in employment. These findings are against a background of a rising unemployment rate, lower employment and a variable but falling inactivity rate.

Other longitudinal studies¹ suggest an association between onset of impairment and movement out of employment. The results from the LOS, presented here, are based on change over a period of a year and use a looser definition of onset than the paper cited above², it is likely that a longer time period than a year is required to show an association between onset of impairment and movement out of employment. Further waves of the LOS will allow this relationship to be explored further.

Table 5.1, Impairment at both waves: offset and onset-acquired: economic activity status of adults of working age at Wave One and at Wave Two

Table notes:

1. Working age here is defined by the respondent's age at Wave One

2. Source - LOS Wave Two Longitudinal Dataset, Office for National Statistics.

Notes for 5.1 Changes in Economic Activity

1. See Jenkins, Stephen P. and Rigg, John A. (August 2003). ‘Disability and disadvantage: selection, onset, and duration effects’, Working Papers of the Institute for Social and Economic Research, paper 2003-18. Colchester: University of Essex.
2. In Jenkins, Stephen P. and Rigg, John A. (2003) a respondent is defined as onset if they report no impairment for two consecutive waves and then report an impairment for two consecutive waves.

5.2 Changes in Income Distribution

Figures 5.1 to 5.6 show the distribution of individual weekly income at Wave One and Wave Two for adults with an impairment at both waves and those who experienced an offset or onset of impairment at Wave Two. Additional charts are included to show the distribution within each group, split by those of working age (16-64) and those aged 65 or over.

In general, there has been little systematic change in the income distributions between waves. However, there are some consistent differences when adults with impairment at both waves are compared with onset-acquired and offset adults. For adults with impairment at both waves, over half had a weekly income of £200 or less at both waves (56 per cent at Wave One, 54 per cent at Wave Two). A smaller percentage of offset adults (43 per cent at Wave One and 40 per cent at Wave Two) and onset-acquired adults (44 per cent at both waves) had an individual weekly income of £200 or less.

Given that a greater proportion of adults with impairment at both waves were aged 65 or over, the difference seen in the income distribution between adults with impairment at both waves and offset/onset-acquired adults might have been an effect of age as we can expect the income sources of working age and older people to differ. It is true that for all adults with impairments at both waves, offset adults and onset-acquired adults, the income distribution is more heavily skewed (with most having a weekly income of £200 or less) for those aged 65 or over than those of working age. However, looking at those of working age only, there was still a greater percentage of adults with impairment at both waves with a weekly income of £200 or less (53 per cent at Wave One, 54 per cent at Wave Two), than of offset adults (37 per cent at Wave One, 35 per cent at Wave Two) and onset-acquired adults (36 per cent at Wave One, 38 per cent at Wave Two).

From these figures it is not possible to assess individual changes in income, instead Figures 5.1 to 5.6 present the distribution of income among these groups of people. As mentioned above, there has been little change in the shape of the income distribution between waves. This absence of change could be due to the time period between waves (of only one year) being too short to allow substantial changes to occur. Additionally, the lack of change in the distribution in income for working age adults is consistent with the stability seen in the economic activity status for working age adults with an impairment at both waves, and those who no longer had impairment at Wave Two (see Table 5.1 above).

Around the same period (2010/11), growth in average earnings was 1.8 per cent. However this growth was lower than both the Retail Prices Index (RPI) and Consumer Prices Index (CPI) for this period. This means that in 2010/11, average earnings fell in real terms. Lower-income households saw smaller decreases in income over this period because they are typically more dependent on income from benefits and tax credits which grew in cash terms and fell only slightly in real terms.

Figure 5.1, Adults with impairments at both waves: Individual weekly income at Wave One and Wave Two

Notes:

1. Source - LOS Wave Two Longitudinal Dataset, Office for National Statistics

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Figure 5.2a Working age (16-64) adults with impairment at both waves: individual weekly income at Wave One and Wave Two

Notes:

1. Source - LOS Wave Two Longitudinal Dataset, Office for National Statistics

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Figure 5.2b Adults with impairments at both waves: individual weekly income at Wave One and Wave Two, aged 65 or over

Notes:

1. Source - LOS Wave Two Longitudinal Dataset, Office for National Statistics

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Figure 5.3, Offset adults: individual weekly income at Wave One and Wave Two

Notes:

1. Source - LOS Wave Two Longitudinal Dataset, Office for National Statistics

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Figure 5.4a, Working age (16-64) offset adults: individual weekly income at Wave One and Wave Two

Notes:

1. Source - LOS Wave Two Longitudinal Dataset, Office for National Statistics

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Figure 5.4b, Offset adults: individual weekly income at Wave One and Wave two , aged 65 or over

Notes:

1. Source - LOS Wave Two Longitudinal Dataset, Office for National Statistics

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Figure 5.5, Onset-acquired adults: individual weekly income at Wave One and Wave Two

Notes:

1. Source - LOS Wave Two Longitudinal Dataset, Office for National Statistics

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Figure 5.6a Working age (16-64) onset-acquired adults: individual weekly income at Wave One and Wave Two

Notes:

1. Source - LOS Wave Two Longitudinal Dataset, Office for National Statistics

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Figure 5.6b, Onset-acquired adults: individual weekly income at Wave One and Wave Two, aged 65 or over

Notes:

1. Source - LOS Wave Two Longitudinal Dataset, Office for National Statistics

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5.3 Changes in Participation Restrictions

At both Wave One and Wave Two, the LOS collected information about adults’ experiences of barriers to participation in eight different life areas – education and training, work, economic life (ability to pay household bills), transport, leisure activities, social contact, accessibility in the home and accessibility outside the home¹. Adults can have reported barriers for each life area at Wave One only, at Wave Two only, at both waves, or at neither wave.

Adults with impairment at both waves

Figure 5.7 (and Tables 5.2 and 5.3) shows that the percentage of adults with impairment at both waves who experienced a barrier in each of the eight life areas. There has been little change between Wave One and Wave Two.

Of adults with impairment at both waves:

• 35 per cent experienced a barrier in fewer life areas at Wave Two.

• 30 per cent experienced a barrier in the same number of life areas at both waves.

• 35 per cent experienced a barrier in more life areas at Wave Two.

On average, adults with impairment at both waves experienced a barrier in 3.3 life areas at both Wave One and Wave Two, additionally:

• Less than 1 per cent experienced no barriers at both Wave One and Wave Two.

• 3 per cent experienced one or more barriers at Wave One and no barriers at Wave Two.

• 3 per cent experienced no barriers at Wave One and one or more barriers at Wave Two.

Table 5.2, Changes in the number of barriers experienced between Wave One and Wave Two

Table notes:

1. Source - LOS Wave Two Longitudinal Dataset, Office for National Statistics.

Table 5.3, Experience of zero barriers at Wave One and Wave Two

Table notes:

1. Source - LOS Wave Two Longitudinal Dataset, Office for National Statistics.

Figure 5.7, Percentage of adults with impairment at both waves experiencing a barrier in each life area at Wave One and Wave Two

Notes:

1. Source - LOS Wave Two Longitudinal Dataset, Office for National Statistics

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Figure 5.8, Percentage of offset adults experiencing a barrier in each life area at Wave One and Wave Two

Notes:

1. Source - LOS Wave Two Longitudinal Dataset, Office for National Statistics

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Offset of impairment

Figure 5.8 (and Tables 5.2 and 5.3) shows that the percentage of offset adults who have experienced a restriction in each of the eight life areas at Wave One and Wave Two. In all but one life area, a higher percentage of offset adults reported a barrier at Wave One than at Wave Two. The life area where there has been little change in the percentage of offset adults reporting a barrier was economic life.

Of adults with impairment offset at Wave Two:

• 46 per cent experienced a barrier in fewer life areas at Wave Two.

• 27 per cent experienced a barrier in the same number of life areas at both waves.

• 27 per cent experienced a barrier in more life areas at Wave Two.

On average, the offset group experienced a barrier in 2.7 life areas at Wave One, compared with 2.3 life areas at Wave Two, additionally:

• 1 per cent of the offset group experienced no barriers at both Wave One and Wave Two.

• 6 per cent of the offset group experienced one or more barriers at Wave One and no barriers at Wave Two.

• 4 per cent of the offset group experienced no barriers at Wave One and one or more barriers at Wave Two.

Experiencing an offset of impairment is not necessarily associated with the removal of all barriers, as the overall number of barriers experienced by the offset group only reduced by a small amount. Moreover, Wave One’s data showed that a large proportion of people without impairment also experienced barriers in a number of life areas². It is also possible some impairments cause more lasting effects, resulting in barriers that persist even after impairment offset. For example, work and economic life could continue to be affected due to a period of unemployment or inactivity caused by an impairment. Equally, the specific barriers experienced may have changed between waves.  More generally, the effects of impairment offset (and onset) on barriers experienced is a complex issue which will become better understood as more waves of LOS data become available and when more detailed analysis of the barriers experienced is undertaken.

Onset of impairment

Figure 5.9 (and Tables 5.2 and 5.3) shows the percentages of onset-acquired adults who experienced a barrier in each of the eight life areas at Wave One and Wave Two. In all but two areas, the percentage of onset-acquired adults who experienced a barrier in that life area has increased between Wave One and Wave Two. The two life areas where there has been little change in the percentage of onset-acquired adults reporting a barrier were economic life and education and training.

Of all onset-acquired adults:

• 27 per cent experienced a barrier in fewer life areas at Wave Two than at Wave One.

• 33 per cent experienced a barrier in the same number of life areas at both waves.

• 40 per cent experienced a barrier in more life areas at Wave Two than at Wave One.

On average, the number of life areas in which onset-acquired adults experienced a barrier increased from 2.3 life areas at Wave One to 2.6 life areas at Wave Two. Additionally:

• 1 per cent of onset-acquired adults reported no barriers at both Wave One and Wave Two.

• 4 per cent of onset-acquired adults reported one or more barriers at Wave One and no barriers at Wave Two.

• 6 per cent of onset-acquired adults reported no barriers at Wave One but one or more barriers at Wave Two.

Comparing across Figures 5.7 to 5.9, it can be seen that adults with impairment at both waves were more likely to experience a barrier in the life area of ‘work’, than offset adults or onset-acquired adults. In Wave One and Wave Two over two-thirds of adults with impairment at both waves experienced a barrier in this life area (68 per cent and 67 per cent respectively) compared to around two-fifths of offset adults (42 per cent at Wave One, 37 per cent at Wave Two) and onset-acquired adults (34 per cent at Wave One, 40 per cent at Wave Two).

Figure 5.9, Percentage of onset-acquired adults experiencing a barrier in each life area at Wave One and at Wave Two

Notes:

1. Source - LOS Wave Two Longitudinal Dataset, Office for National Statistics

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Barriers by life area and whether barrier was experienced at Wave One and Wave Two

At both Wave One and Wave Two, leisure activities and transport were the two life areas in which all adults (with impairment at both waves, offset, or onset-acquired adults) were most likely to experience a barrier. Figure 5.10 presents individual changes in the barriers faced in the different life areas between Wave One and Wave Two. For five out of the eight life areas (education and training, economic life, accessibility in the home, accessibility outside the home, social contact), the majority of all adults experienced no barriers at both Wave One or Wave Two. However, for all adults, most experienced a barrier for transport at both waves (66 per cent for adults with impairment at both waves, 48 per cent of offset adults, 50 per cent of onset-acquired adults). Most also experienced a barrier for leisure activities at both waves (73 per cent for adults with impairment at both waves, and 65 per cent for both offset and onset-acquired adults).

Adults with an impairment at both waves were more likely to have experienced a barrier to work at both waves (58 per cent) than adults who were onset-acquired (23 per cent) or offset (26 per cent). Around half of offset adults (47 per cent) and onset-acquired adults (50 per cent) did not report that they faced a barrier to work at both waves.

In most life areas, adults who experienced an offset of impairment were more likely to experience a barrier at Wave One than at Wave Two, while adults who experienced an onset of impairment were more likely to experience a barrier at Wave Two than at Wave One. This pattern is most evident in transport, accessibility outside the home and leisure activities.

The majority of adults with an impairment at both waves and those with an offset or onset of impairment at Wave Two experienced no barrier in the area of accessibility outside the home at either Wave One or Wave Two. However this proportion was smaller for adults with an impairment at both waves, who were more likely than offset or onset-acquire adults to experience a barrier in the area of accessibility outside the home at both Wave One and Wave Two.

Taken together, the findings suggest a relationship between having an impairment and experiencing participation restriction in life areas. This relationship will be further explored in the LOS Wave Two, Part II Report in 2013. In the Part II Report, the barriers experienced by people with impairments (at either wave or both waves) will be compared against those experienced by the control group.

Figure 5.10a, Barrier by life area and whether barrier was experienced at Wave One and Wave Two

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Figure 5.10b, Barrier by life area and whether barrier was experienced at Wave One and Wave Two

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Figure 5.10c, Barrier by life area and whether barrier was experienced at Wave One and Wave Two

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Figure 5.10d, Barrier by life area and whether barrier was experienced at Wave One and Wave Two

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Figure 5.10e, Barrier by life area and whether barrier was experienced at Wave One and Wave Two

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Figure 5.10f, Barrier by life area and whether barrier was experienced at Wave One and Wave Two

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Figure 5.10g, Barrier by life area and whether barrier was experienced at Wave One and Wave Two

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Figure 5.10h, Barrier by life area and whether barrier was experienced at Wave One and Wave Two

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Notes for 5.3 Changes in Participation Restrictions

1. More information about the questions asked in the LOS interview can be found in the Wave Two questionnaire.

   More information about how participation restriction is defined can be found in the Life Opportunities Survey 2009/11 Derived Variable Specification.

2. Further analyses on participation restrictions experienced by people without impairment at both waves (the control group) will be provided in the Wave Two, Part II Report.

Background notes

1. Details of the policy governing the release of new data are available by visiting www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/code-of-practice/index.html or from the Media Relations Office email: media.relations@ons.gsi.gov.uk