Study title

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The issue of inheritance has, until recent decades, concerned only a small percentage of the population, because only this group has been rich enough to have assets to leave to others. The growth of home-ownership, however, has probably increased the number of people who will both bequeath and inherit assets.

The Attitudes to Inheritance, 2004 study was commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in order to research people's attitudes to inheritance. Initial developmental work for the project comprised a literature review, secondary analysis of previous qualitative and quantitative studies and four focus group discussions conducted with owner-occupiers. The main component of the study was a nationally representative survey of 2,008 people living in Britain, the results of which comprise this dataset.
Main Topics:

Topics covered in the survey included: attitudes to inheritance; household composition and demographic characteristics of household members; housing; liquid savings; inheritances received; lifetime gifts; future inheritances and wills; personal finance; attitudes to care for family members; and inheritance tax.