Threshold — how disability is defined, counted and governed in the United Kingdom.

Sections and entries

01Definitions 02The Question 03Counts 04Gaps 05Bodies 06Sources ALLIndex

Section 2 of 6

The Question

The wording that decides the number. Every entry below names the definition or the source it depends on, and says where official figures disagree.

A survey questionnaire on a clipboard — Fig. 1The interviewer reads the wording as printed. What the respondent makes of it is what the count records.
Photo: RDNE Stock project / Pexels

4 entries in this section

The wording decides the numberChange 'long-standing illness' to 'condition expected to last 12 months' and the count moves by millions.
Filter questionsWhat gets asked first, and who is routed past the rest.
Self-reportThe count depends on identification, which depends on the question.
Comparability over timeWhy a series breaks when the question is improved.

Sections

Definitions
The Question
Counts
Gaps
Bodies
Sources

The publication

Full index of entries
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How to read this site

Every entry names the definition or the source it depends on, and the year. Where official figures disagree, the entry says so instead of choosing between them.

dialuk.info is an independent publication about how disability is defined, counted and governed in the United Kingdom. It is not an advice, advocacy or support service, it does not interpret law or guidance for any individual, and nothing on it should be read as guidance on any person’s circumstances.