ArticleJournal of epidemiology and community health2023
Social security cuts and life expectancy: a longitudinal analysis of local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales.
Article in Journal of epidemiology and community health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- Long-term negative divergence in mortality at ages 25-49 years between the United Kingdom and 21 peer countries between 1990 and 2019.European journal of epidemiology · 2026Article
- Understanding changes to life expectancy and inequalities in the UK, Germany, and other high-income countries.Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz · 2025Review
- Left behind? A longitudinal ecological study of 'regional deprivation amplification' and life expectancy growth in in England (2004 to 2020).Health & place · 2025Article
- The contribution of education-specific mortality trends to the life expectancy stagnation in England & Wales.European journal of epidemiology · 2025Article
- A new era of inequality: profound changes to mortality in England, Scotland, and 10 major British cities.European journal of public health · 2025Article
- Is the period of austerity in the UK associated with increased rates of adverse birth outcomes?European journal of public health · 2024Article
- Cross-sector collaboration to reduce health inequalities: a qualitative study of local collaboration between health care, social services, and other sectors under health system reforms in England.BMC public health · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe UK Government's 'welfare reform' programme included reductions to social security payments, phased in over the financial years 2011/2012-2015/2016. Previous studies of social security cuts and health outcomes have been restricted to analysing single UK countries or single payment types (eg, housing benefit). We examined the association between all social security cuts fully implemented by 2016 and life expectancy, for local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales.
methodsOur unit of analysis was 201 upper tier local authorities (unitary authorities and county councils: 147 in England, 32 in Scotland, 22 in Wales). Our exposure was estimated social security loss per head of the working age population per year for each local authority, calculated against the baseline in 2010/2011. The primary outcome was annual life expectancy at birth between the calendar years 2012 and 2016 (year lagged following exposure). We used a panel regression approach with fixed effects.
resultsSocial security cuts implemented by 2016 were estimated to be £475 per head of the working age population in England, £390 in Scotland and £490 in Wales since 2010/2011. During the study period, there was either no improvement or only marginal increases in national life expectancy. Social security loss and life expectancy were significantly associated: an estimated £100 decrease in social security per head of working age population was associated with a 1-month reduction in life expectancy.
conclusionsSocial security cuts, at the UK local authority level, were associated with lower life expectancy. Further research should examine causality.
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