Understanding Society Waves 17-19 (Fieldwork Grant 1)

Every five years, the UK government and researchers rely on a single, massive survey to track how people’s lives actually change—and this grant pays for the next round of that data collection. Understanding Society follows tens of thousands of households over time, asking about income, health, employment, housing, and family life. Without it, policymakers would have to guess whether a new benefit system actually lifts people out of poverty, or whether a housing policy reduces homelessness. The survey fills a critical gap: it captures real-world outcomes, not just intentions or projections. If this fieldwork succeeds, the resulting data will shape decisions across government departments—from the Treasury to the NHS—for years. It will help design more effective social policies, target public spending where it works, and reveal hidden inequalities that cross-sectional snapshots miss. The project is primarily a data infrastructure investment, not a single experiment. Its impact is indirect but profound: every major UK social policy evaluation in the coming decade will likely draw on these waves.