24 June 2015

Professor Ruth Hancock of the University of East Anglia, who jointly leads our research stream on Supporting Vulnerable People, is presenting her latest research at a House of Lords seminar concerned with meeting the costs of disability and independent living on 24 June 2015.

Baroness Campbell of Surbiton is hosting the seminar which will consider the findings of research which involves researchers from the Centre. Professor Hancock, Dr Marcello Morciano (UEA) and Professor Stephen Pudney (Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex) are presenting research findings on:

“Disability in later life: how well do disability benefits and publicly-funded social care meet the costs?”

The balance between supporting older people with disabilities through nationally-administered disability benefits (such as Attendance Allowance), or through publicly-funded social care arranged via local authorities, remains a matter of policy concern.

The research provides new evidence on the personal costs that older people with disabilities face and the extent to which disability benefits and social care are targeted on those facing the highest costs and/or are least able to afford to meet those costs.

Dr Tom Shakespeare, Senior Lecturer in the Norwich Medical School at UEA is also presenting his research on “The closure of the Independent Living Fund: how is it affecting users?”

Both research projects were funded by the ESRC.