Essex Dependent Interviewing Workshop 17/09/2004

The effects of dependent interviewing on responses to questions on income sources

Peter Lynn, Annette Jäckle, Stephen P. Jenkins and Emanuela Sala

Essex Dependent Interviewing Workshop 17/09/2004

The Data

• From ISMIE study

• INDI: 4 show cards listing income sources; respondent asked which ones received since 1 Sep 2001; “code all that apply” question type: no explicit coding for “no”

• RDI: Same as INDI, followed by a check question for any income source reported at previous wave, but not current wave: “According to our records, you have in the past received … Have you received …. since … ?”

• PDI: “According to our records, when we last interviewed you, on …, you were receiving …. For which months since … have you received …. ?

Essex Dependent Interviewing Workshop 17/09/2004

Percentage reporting income source, conditional upon having report source at t-1

Income source INDI RDI PDI

NI retirement pension 99 100 100

Ex-employer pension 91 100 * 100 *

Incapacity benefit 71 96 * 85

Income support 82 83 98 **

Child benefit 68 86 ** 93 ***

Working families tax credit 57 68 87 *

Housing benefit 78 94 ** 94 **

Council tax benefit 79 94 ** 95 **

Essex Dependent Interviewing Workshop 17/09/2004

Percentage reporting income source: unconditional

Income source INDI RDI PDI

NI retirement pension 30 31 31

Ex-employer pension 15 16 16

Incapacity benefit 6 10 7

Income support 18 17 17

Child benefit 18 21 21

Working families tax credit 8 8 11

Housing benefit 20 30 ** 29 **

Council tax benefit 26 35 ** 32

Essex Dependent Interviewing Workshop 17/09/2004

Percentage reporting both housing benefit and….

Income source INDI RDI PDI

…NI retirement pension 10 16 * 15 *

…Ex-employer pension 3 6 * 4 *

…Incapacity benefit 3 5 4

…Income support 13 15 14

…Child benefit 3 7 * 6 *

…Working families tax credit 1 3 * 2

…Council tax benefit 19 28 ** 25 *

Essex Dependent Interviewing Workshop 17/09/2004

Percentage reporting both council tax benefit and….

Income source INDI RDI PDI

…NI retirement pension 14 18 18

…Ex-employer pension 5 8 * 6

…Incapacity benefit 3 5 5

…Income support 14 15 15

…Child benefit 4 8 * 7

…Working families tax credit 1 3 * 2

Essex Dependent Interviewing Workshop 17/09/2004

Percentage reporting … conditional upon housing benefit

Income source INDI RDI PDI

…NI retirement pension 51 52 52

…Ex-employer pension 16 19 14

…Incapacity benefit 14 17 14

…Income support 67 49 * 49 *

…Child benefit 16 22 21

…Working families tax credit 6 11 6

…Council tax benefit 96 92 86 *

Essex Dependent Interviewing Workshop 17/09/2004

Percentage reporting housing benefit conditional upon …

Income source INDI RDI PDI

…NI retirement pension 34 50 * 48 *

…Ex-employer pension 21 36 27

…Incapacity benefit 48 55 61

…Income support 74 86 86

…Child benefit 18 32 29

…Working families tax credit 15 38 * 16

…Council tax benefit 72 79 79

Essex Dependent Interviewing Workshop 17/09/2004

Differences between independent and reactive reporters (all 32 income sources)

Independent reporters

Reactive reporters

Born before 1943 49 29 *

Retired 42 24 *

NI pension recipient (at t-1) 43 26 *

Living with spouse or partner 55 31 **

Registered disabled 21 40 **

No sig difference: gender, in paid work, hhold type, qualifications, general health, car ownership, phone ownership, attitude to neighbourhood

Essex Dependent Interviewing Workshop 17/09/2004

The effects of dependent interviewing on responses to questions on income sources

Peter Lynn, Annette Jäckle, Stephen P. Jenkins and Emanuela Sala