Claimants' perceptions of changes

Drawing on our analysis of changes in circumstances nearest to 1 November 1992, Table 4.1 shows which changes respondents regarded as important. A gradual change in health was regarded as very important by a high proportion of respondents (83 per cent). Other changes regarded by more than two-thirds of respondents as very important were moving to another address, a child starting school, going into hospital and a spell of paid work. Interestingly, only the last of these usually has a direct i mpact on the level of Income Support (although moving house could have i mplications for a claimant's mortgage interest payments). Paid work can have varying financial effects, from increasing income (up to the level of the appropriate disregard) to removing people from Income Support completely.

All of the other changes listed in Table 4.1 (with the exception of rent increases) were generally regarded as important by the respondents though to a lesser extent than those mentioned above. Rent increases are probably considered less important because in most cases the increase would be met by Housing Benefit with no net effect on the finances of the respondent.

How people view change and its relationship to Income Support may also depend on whether they think it is for the better or not. Table 4.2 shows that, overall, 49 per cent of respondents described the change recorded nearest to 1 November as good, 23 per cent as bad, and equal proportions (13 per cent) described the change as a bit of both or neither good nor bad. The range of responses is not surprising given that most changes can have both positive and negative aspects. Going into hospital might be described as good after a long wait for treatment or bad if it was the result of a worrying diagnosis. Likewise, coming out of hospital could be part of the process of recovery or pose a problem of long-term care. Income changes could either be

Table 4.1: Importance of the change nearest to 1 November 1992 for Income Support recipients

Type of change Respondents'_{views of importance}

No, of changes

Very impt. Quite impt. Not very impt. Notat all impt. Don't know % % % %s Housing Move 31 68 23 7 3 0 Rent increase 43 23 21 30 23 2 Mortgage decrease 65 36 36 0 9 18 Family change

Away from home 94 38 16 26 16 4 Starting school 52 67 14 12 6 2 Health Into hospital 50 64 10 12 8 6 Out of hospital 27 48 26 11 11 4 Gradual change 24 83 17 0 0 0 Employment Spell of employment 44 64 21 11 5 Unpaid work 17 29 41 24 6 Expenditure Large purchases 54 48 32 7 2 11 Community charge 25 33 50 13 4 0 increase Income Income Support 100 41 25 24 6 3 Other benefits 51 57 24 10 10 0 Other income 13 54 23 23 0 0 All changes 723 ' 47 22 17 10 4 ' The total number of changes recorded as near to November 1 includes 36 other changes some of which

were mentioned by only a few respondents Source: Survey

Table 4.2: Respondents' views about whether change nearest to 1 November 1992 was good or bad

Type of change Respondents' views of change No. of

changes

Good Bad Bit of both Neither Don't know

% % % Housing Move 31 81 3 13 3 0 Rent increase 43 9 37 16 35 2 Mortgage decrease 65 57 9 6 26 2 Family change

Away from home 94 55 10 15 16 4 Starting school 52 69 2 14 15 0 Health Into hospital 50 42 34 14 8 2 Out of hospital 27 56 22 4 19 0 Gradual change 24 21 58 21 0 0 Employment Spell of employment 44 84 9 2 2 2 Unpaid work 17 71 0 18 12 0 Expenditure Large purchases 54 24 39 19 9 9 Community charge 25 4 67 21 8 0 increase Income Income Support 100 53 27 10 9 1 Other benefits 51 53 24 14 8 2 Other income 13 46 31 8 15 0 All changes 723 ' 49 23 13 13

' The total number of changes recorded as near to 1 November includes 36 other changes Source: Survey

increases or decreases, and large purchases could be an unavoidable expense or a longed-for item bought after a period of saving.

Although changes will not invariably be for better or worse, those which were most likely to be described as good were: a change of address (81 _{per cent), a spell of paid}

work (84 per cent), a spell of unpaid work (71 _{per cent), and a child starting school}

(69 per cent). Changes most likely to be described as bad were: an increase in the community charge payable (mentioned by 67 _{per cent of respondents with this}

change), a gradual change in health (58 per cent), a large purchase (39 _{per cent), a}

rent increase (37 per cent), going into hospital (34 _{per cent), and a change to other}

income (31 per cent).

In the detailed investigation of the change nearest to 1 November 1992, respondents were asked if the change was something they chose to do, or had some control over, or a change they had no control over. Their answers offer an interesting insight into whether the lives of people on Income Support can be characterised as a series of responses to the external and arbitrary forces of society, or whether people have more choice and control over their lives than is sometimes supposed. Overall, we collected detailed data on 723 changes.7

As Table 4.3 _{shows, two-thirds of respondents felt they}

had no control over the changes they had experienced and 31 _{per cent felt they had}

some choice.

Table 4.3: Respondents' views of the amount of choice or control they had over changes in circumstances, for different types of change

Type of change Amount of choice No. of changes Some choice/

control

No control Don't know/ refused % % % Housing Move 31 81 16 3 Rent increase 43 9 88 2 Mortgage decrease 65 12 85 3 Family change

Away from home 94 58 37 5

Starting school 52 29 69 2 Health Into hospital 50 30 66 4 Out of hospital 27 19 78 4 Gradual change 24 38 63 0 Employment Spell of employment 44 73 27 0 Unpaid work 17 94 6 0 Expenditure Large purchases 54 19 67 15 Community charge 25 13 83 4 increase Income Income Support 100 14 82 4 Other benefits 51 10 88 2 Other income 13 23 77 0 All changes 723 1 _{31 64} 5 1

The total number of changes recorded as near to 1 November 1992 includes 36 other changes Source: Survey

This number is slightly lower than it should be: large changes in expenditure, one-off jobs or changes to electricity bills were not included because of an error in the routeing within the CAPI version of the questionnaire. Excluding large expenditures from this analysis is likely to lower the proportion who feel they have control over the change. Large expenditures, however, are not considered in the assessment for Income Support.

Whether people felt they had any choice depended to a large extent on the type of change experienced, but the list of changes over which people felt they had no control was longer than the list of changes which were from choice. For example, around 80 per cent of respondents said they had no control over changes in Income Support or other benefits, coming out of hospital, rent increases, community charge increases, mortgage decreases, and maintenance payments (included in `other income' in the table). Similarly, over 60 per cent said they had no control over changes in health, going into hospital, a child starting school, or expenditure on large purchases. Conversely, people were more likely than not to feel they had choice over starting paid and unpaid work, moving house, or leaving and returning home.

It is interesting that two-thirds of the respondents who had made large purchases regarded these as being outside their control. However, a large purchase may be for a `necessity' such as a bed or bedding, or repair of electrical equipment, and the reason for that need is beyond the control of the respondent-the item has worn out, or needs to be repaired. To go without the item was not regarded as a choice.