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Does capping social security harm health? A natural experiment in the UK
Aaron Reeves1,2, Mark Fransham1,2, Kitty Stewart3
1Department of Social Policy and Intervention University of Oxford Oxford UK.
Social Policy & Administration
|September 12, 2022
Summary
Lowering the UK's benefit cap increased depression and anxiety risks for capped households. This policy may worsen mental ill health and hinder employment for those out of work.
Area of Science:
- Social Policy
- Mental Health Research
- Public Health
Background:
- The UK's benefit cap limits social security for households without full-time employment.
- Understanding the mental health impact of welfare policies is crucial for public health.
- Previous research has not fully explored the consequences of the benefit cap reduction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mental health effects of the 2016 reduction in the UK's benefit cap.
- To assess the impact on individuals at risk of being capped versus those not at risk.
- To determine if the policy change correlates with increased mental ill health.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a natural policy experiment design.
- Comparing mental health outcomes of individuals at risk of the benefit cap with a control group.
- Analyzing data from approximately 900,000 individuals before and after the policy change.
Main Results:
- A 2.6 percentage point increase in depression or anxiety prevalence was observed among those at risk of being capped.
- (95% confidence interval: 1.33-3.88) compared to those at low risk.
- The findings suggest a direct link between the benefit cap reduction and poorer mental health outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Reducing the benefit cap may inadvertently increase mental ill health among vulnerable populations.
- The policy could create barriers to re-entering the labour market for unemployed individuals.
- Further investigation into the long-term socioeconomic and health consequences is warranted.
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