Inequalities in disability

Abstract

Prevalence of disability and receipt of disability benefits have steadily increased among the UK’s working-age population in recent years. We examine inequalities in disability and its prevalence between educational groups, year of birth cohorts, regions and genders in the UK. Our analysis reveals significant disparities in disability rates across groups. In particular, disability is strongly related to education: those with lower levels of education have similar disability rates to those with degrees who are decades older than them. These gaps in disability rates open up early on in the life cycle, and while the prevalence of poor physical health increases steadily with age, we see the prevalence of poor mental health rising particularly fast among younger cohorts. These patterns in early life may have profound future implications for physical health and longevity. These results suggest that disability may be a key driver of inequalities across the life cycle.