Changing distribution of wealth

Funded by: The Nuffield Foundation

Contact: Francesca Bastagli, Frank Cowell, John Hills, Eleni Karagiannaki and Abigail McKnight

Both the inequality of the UK personal wealth distribution and the relative value of wealth have increased in the last two decades. At the same time, distinct policy changes have been made in education finance, pensions policy, personal care, social security entitlement, and housing that make people’s asset position more important, alongside new “asset-based welfare” policies.  Heated debates centre on taxation of wealth and wealth transfers.

Our aim is an integrated study of the drivers of the changing wealth distribution as they affect the main body of the population, mapping out the changes that have occurred, evidence on their wider implications, and identifying key factors that may drive future trends. The aim is to better inform the debate, and to enrich the evidence-base. An important part of the output will be an integrated analysis of the range of policy options across different policy areas that are normally considered in isolation.

Presentations from the corresponding half-day seminar held on 20th June 2012 are available here:

Where we are, how we got here and which inequalities matter (John Hills)
Wealth accumulation and house prices (Francesca Bastagli)
Inheritance and wealth inequality (Eleni Karagiannaki)
Parental wealth and wealth in young adulthood (Abigail McKnight)
Britain in international perspective: is Britain unusual? (Frank Cowell)
The current policy mix: inconsistent and inequitable? (John Hills)

Associated work:

The Magnitude and Correlates of Inter-vivos Transfers in the UK
Eleni Karagiannaki, June 2011
Paper No' CASE/151: Read Abstract | Full paper

Inequality among the Wealthy
Frank A Cowell, June 2011
Paper No' CASE/150: Read Abstract | Full paper

Estimates of the asset-effect: The search for a causal effect of assets on adult health and employment outcomes
Abigail McKnight, June 2011
Paper No' CASE/149: Read Abstract | Full paper

The impact of inheritance on the distribution of wealth: Evidence from the UK
Eleni Karagiannaki, June 2011
Paper No' CASE/148: Read Abstract | Full paper

A Wealth Tax Abandoned: The role of the UK Treasury 1974-6
Howard Glennerster, June 2011
Paper No' CASE/147: Read Abstract | Full paper

Rrecent trends in the size and the distribution of inherited wealth in the UK
Eleni Karagiannaki, June 2011
Paper No' CASE/146: Read Abstract | Full paper