Scottish Government

SCOTLAND'S PEOPLE

Results from the 2001 scottish household survey • annual report • chapter four

HOW WE LIVE

This section focuses on household resources. It looks at ownership of material possessions including motor vehicles and Personal Computers, and also financial resources of different types. This section also examines health and ill-health, registration with, and use of, GP services and the provision and receipt of childcare and care for adults.

Household resources

Access to motor vehicles

Two-thirds of households (65%) in Scotland have access to at least one motor vehicle for private use.

• Households where the highest income householder is male are more likely than households where the highest income householder is female to have access to a motor vehicle for private use (77% and 46% respectively) ( Table 4.1).
• Unsurprisingly, as net annual household income increases, so too does the likelihood of a household having access to a motor vehicle for private use ( Table 4.2). Ninety-five per cent of households with a net income of over 20,000 a year have access to a motor vehicle for private use, compared with only 34% of households with a net annual income of less than 6,000.

Forty-five per cent of Scottish households have access to one motor vehicle for private use, 16% have access to two and 3% have access to three or more vehicles. Thirty-five per cent of households in Scotland do not have access to any motor vehicle for private use ( Table 4.4).

• Households in large urban areas are least likely to have access to a motor vehicle for private use ( Table 4.3). In contrast, households in rural areas are most likely to have access to two or more motor vehicles for private use. Twenty-seven percent of households in accessible rural areas, 24% in remote rural areas, and 18% in very remote rural have access to more than one car.
• In terms of household type ( Table 4.4), large adult families are most likely to have access to two or more motor vehicles for private use (50%). In contrast, very few single adult, single parent and single pensioner households have access to two or more motor vehicles for private use (1%, 2% and 0% respectively).
• Households in Grampian, Lothians and South Lanarkshire are most likely to have access to two or more motor vehicles for private use (26%, 25% and 26% respectively). Conversely, households in Glasgow and Edinburgh are least likely to have access to two or more motor vehicles for private use (7% and 14%). Residents in Glasgow and Edinburgh are also most likely not to have access to any motor vehicle for private use (57% and 43% respectively) ( Table 4.5).

Access to phones, Personal Computers and the internet

The SHS asks respondents whether their household has a telephone and a computer/PC. The majority of households (94%) across Scotland have a telephone, and 39% have a computer/PC. This compares with 33% of households that had a computer/PC in 1999/2000.

• As net annual income increases, so too does the likelihood of a household's having a telephone or PC ( Table 4.6).The increase is particularly steep for computers/PCs. Seventy-two per cent of households with a net annual income of over 20,000 have a PC/computer, compared with only 16% of households with a net annual income of below 6,000.
• Families are most likely to have PCs/ computers. Seventy per cent of large families and 66% of small families have a PC/computer, compared with 30% of single adults, 21% of older smaller households and 5% of single pensioners ( Table 4.7).
• Households in Lothians, Grampian and Edinburgh are most likely to have a computer/PC (48%, 48% and 44% respectively), while households in Glasgow and Southern Scotland are least likely to have one (30% and 34%). Over 90% of households in all areas of Scotland have a telephone ( Table 4.8).

The SHS also asks respondents about whether they have access to the internet, and if so, how they use it and for how long on average.

• Twenty-nine per cent of households in Scotland make personal use of the internet at home. ¹⁸ Access varies depending on net annual household income, household type and local authority grouping ( Tables
  4.9- 4.11).
• Of adults who use the internet, the majority (83%) spend up to five hours a week using the internet for personal use ( Table 4.12) and 95% access it through a personal computer ( Table 4.13).
• When asked what they currently use the internet for, the most common answers given by adults who use the internet were using e-mail (80%), general browsing or surfing (72%) and finding information about goods/services (66%) ( Table 4.14). However, when asked about what they might use the internet for in the future the most common answers were grocery shopping (20%), buying or ordering tickets and services (18%) and personal banking/investment activities (18%).

Financial resources

Income

A third of Scottish households (33%) have a net annual household income of 10,000 or less while almost a third (31%) have a net annual income of 20,000 or more. Income is closely related to the number of people in the household ( Table 4.15).

• Around three-quarters of single pensioner households (77%) and around half of single adult households (48%) have a net annual income of less than 10,000. Forty-five per cent of single parent households also fall into this income band.
• By contrast, just under two-thirds of small family and large family households have a net annual income of more than 20,000 (62% each) ( Table 4.15).

The effect of household size is also reflected when the marital status of the highest income household (HIH) is examined. Around half of households where the HIH is married or cohabiting are in the highest income banding (49% and 50% respectively) ( Table 4.16).

Households with a female HIH have lower incomes than those with a male HIH. Just under half (49%) of households where the HIH is female have a net annual income of 10,000 or less compared with just under a quarter (23%) of those where the HIH is male ( Table 4.17).

Savings

Across Scotland as a whole, 53% of households have savings or investments.

• Households falling into the higher net annual income bands are more likely than those in the lower bands to have any savings or investments ( Table 4.18). For example, almost three-quarters (71%) of households with a net annual household income of more than 20,000 have any savings or investments compared with two-fifths (41%) of households with a net annual income of less than 6,000.
• In terms of household type, older smaller and large adult households are most likely to have savings or investments (64% and 61% respectively) ( Table 4.19). Single parent households are by far the least likely household type to have any saving or investments (18%).
• Looking at savings and investments by local authority grouping ( Table 4.20), households in Grampian, Southern Scotland and Fife are most likely to have some savings or investments (71%, 66% and 62% respectively), while households in Glasgow and North Lanarkshire are the least likely (34% and 36% respectively).

In terms of the amount of savings and investments, across the sample as a whole, 31% of households with savings or investments refused to specify the amount. The data relating to those who refused to provide an answer relating to the amount of savings and investments have been removed in analysing these data (No table).

Of households who gave a value for their savings and investments, just under a quarter (22%) have savings and investments totalling less than 1,000. Twenty-seven per cent have savings and investments of more than 1,000 but less than 5,000 and 16% have savings and investments of more than 5,000 but less than 10,000. The remaining 36% have savings and investments of 10,000 or more ( Table 4.21).

• Respondents in the higher income bands are most likely to have savings and investments of 10,000 or more (Table 4.21). Forty-two per cent of households with a net annual income of over 20,000 have savings and investments of 10,000 or more compared with 30% of households with a net annual income of less than 6,000.
• In terms of household type ( Table 4.22), older smaller households are most likely to have savings and investments of 10,000 or more (53%), while single parent households are least likely to have this level of savings and investments (19%).
• Households in Edinburgh, Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire and Inverclyde are most likely to have savings and investments of 10,000 or more (44%, 44% and 43% respectively) ( Table 4.23). Households in North Lanarkshire and Glasgow are least likely to have this level of savings and investments (25% and 27% respectively).

Money worries

Across Scotland as a whole, 46% of households perceive themselves to be managing 'very' or 'quite' well financially. Twelve per cent of Scottish households perceive themselves not to be managing well financially, 6% saying they 'don't manage very well', 5% saying they 'have some financial difficulties' and 1% saying they are 'in deep financial trouble' ( Table 4.24).

• As net annual household income increases so too does the likelihood for a household to perceive itself to be managing well financially ( Table 4.24). Sixty-five per cent of households with a net annual income of more than 20,000 see themselves as managing 'very' or 'quite well' compared with 30% of households with a net annual income of less than 6,000.
• Households with any savings or investments are more likely than households without any savings or investments to perceive themselves to be managing well financially ( Table 4.25). Sixty-one per cent of households with any saving or investments are managing 'very' or 'quite well' compared with 24% of households without any savings or investments.
• Households in Edinburgh and Grampian are most likely to say they are managing well financially (53% and 53% respectively saying they are managing 'very' or 'quite well') ( Table 4.26). Glasgow and North Lanarkshire have the lowest proportions of households who say they are managing well (33% and 36% respectively).

Financial services

Across Scotland as a whole, 87% of households have a bank or building society account ( Table 4.28).

• Looking at the various household types ( Table 4.27), we can see that single parent households are by far the least likely to have a bank or building society account (68% have a bank or building society account). By contrast, 80% or more of households in the other household types have a bank or building society account.
• Households in Grampian and Southern Scotland are most likely to have a bank or building society account (95%, and 94% respectively), while households in Glasgow, South Lanarkshire and North Lanarkshire are least likely to have one (71%, 78% and 81% respectively) ( Table 4.28).

Almost a fifth of households (18%) say they have no home contents insurance and almost a third (31%) have no building insurance. Among owner-occupiers, insurance is almost universal, with only 1% saying they have no insurance. There seems to be confusion among tenants between contents and buildings insurance but tenants in rented accommodation are much more likely to have no insurance than are owner-occupiers. Whereas only 1% of households that own outright or are buying with a mortgage or loan have no insurance, 35% of social rented households and 40% of households in private rented accommodation have no insurance ( Table 4.29).

Among households in the rented tenures, single parent and single adult are least likely to have any insurance (54% and 53% respectively) ( Table 4.30).

Health, caring and childcare

General health

The majority (55%) of all adults described their health as 'good' and around a third (31%) describe it as 'fairly good'. However, 14% of all adults describe their health as 'not good'.

• The proportion of adults describing their health as 'not good' rises with age. While 1 in 20 (5%) of respondents aged between 16 and 24 years describe their health as 'not good', this rises to around 1 in 4 (25%) of those aged 75 and over. However, a further 44% of those aged 75 or over describe their health as 'fairly good' ( Table 4.31).
• A slightly lower proportion of women than men say their health is good (53% and 58% respectively) ( Table 4.32).
• Table 4.33 shows that adults living in accessible small towns are least likely to say that their health is good while those living in 'remote small towns' were the most likely to say so.
• Those adults living in social rented housing are the most likely to describe their health as 'not good' (25%), while those buying their home with the help of a mortgage are the least likely to describe their health as 'not good' (8%) ( Table 4.34).
• In terms of area, adults living in Edinburgh are most likely to describe their health as 'good' (64%), while adults in Dunbartonshire and Southern Scotland are the least likely to describe their health as 'good' (49% and 50% respectively) ( Table 4.35).

Smoking

Over a quarter (28%) of adults smoke cigarettes ( Table 4.36).

• With regard to age, 25-34 year olds are most likely to smoke, with 36% doing so (Figure 4.1).
• Over a quarter (28%) of adults aged 16-24 smoke ( Figure 4.1).
• Smoking is less common among older age groups, with the survey highlighting a consistent downward trend after the 25-34 age group ( Figure 4.1).
• Eleven per cent of those aged 75 years or over smoke.
• A higher proportion of adults living in large urban areas and 'other urban areas' than in other areas smoke (31%) ( Table 4.37).
• Smoking is most common among adults living in Glasgow (36%) and North Lanarkshire (37%) and least common among adults living in Ayrshire (23%), and Grampian (24%) ( Table 4.38).
• Eighteen per cent of adults who smoke describe their health as 'not good' compared with 12% of non-smokers ( Table 4.39).

Registration with a GP

The survey identifies almost universal registration with a GP or health practitioner (99%) (No table).

• In terms of tenure, however, a lower proportion of adults living in private rented accommodation than any other tenure type is registered with a GP or health practitioner (93%) (No table).

Visits to a GP or family doctor

Over a fifth (22%) of adults registered with a doctor did not visit a GP or family doctor about their own health during the previous year.

• Over a third (34%) visited on only one or two occasions and a further fifth (21%) visited on three to five occasions. Eleven per cent visited a GP or family doctor more than 10 ten times during the past year ( Table 4.40).
• While only 6% of adults aged 16-24 visited their GP more than 10 times in the previous year, 14% of those aged 75 or over had done so ( Table 4.40).
• Women are more likely than men to visit a GP or family doctor, with only 16% of females not having visited in the previous year, compared to a over a quarter (29%) of men ( Table 4.41).
• While almost a third (32%) of adults describing their health as 'good' had not visited a doctor in the past year, this was the case for only 3% of those describing their health as 'not good' during this period ( Table 4.42).
• Around a third of adults with any long-standing illness, health problem or a disability visited a GP or family doctor more than 10 times in the last year, only 6% of those without a long-standing illness or disability did so ( Table 4.43).
• Of adults who had visited a GP or family doctor at least once in the last year, 93% were satisfied with the service received (65% 'very satisfied' and 27% 'fairly satisfied'). Only 5% were dissatisfied with the service they received ( Figure 4.2).

Long-standing illness, health problems or disability

Household respondents were asked if there was anyone in their household with a long-standing illness, health problem or disability that limits their activity or the kind of work they could do. This was based on the respondents assessment of each household members' status rather than any medical assessment of illness or self-report by the person concerned.

• Just under a third of households (31%) contain at least one person with a long-standing limiting illness, health problem or disability. In 83% of these households there is one person with a long-standing limiting illness, health problem or disability ( Table 4.44).
• Over half (53%) of all household members with a long-standing limiting illness are aged 60 or over, while over a fifth (23%) are aged 45 to 59 (No table).
• Households where someone has a long-standing health problem or disability tend to have lower incomes than other households ( Table 4.45). Thus, while 31% of all households have an income of 20,000 or more, only 14% of households where someone has a long-standing health problem or disability are in this income band. This is primarily a function of age - people with a health problem or disability are most commonly in pensioner households.
• Almost half of the households with someone with a long-standing limiting illness, health problem or disability are older smaller (24%) households and single pensioner households (24%). A further 13% are single adult households. Incomes will, therefore, reflect reduced earning capacity or retirement incomes. ( Table 4.46).
• There is also variation in relation to housing tenure to the extent that households with at least one person with a long-standing illness, health problem or disability are more likely to be in public rented housing ( Table 4.47).

In terms of all household members rather than households, 6% of all household members have a disability, 7% have a long-term health problem and 3% have both a disability and a long-term health problem (No table).

There is no significant difference between male and female household members but there is a significant difference between household members aged under 50 years and those aged over 50 years. Among children aged under 10 years, 2% have a disability, 2% a long-term illness and less than 1% has both. Among adults aged 50 to 59 years, these proportions increase to 7%, 9% and 5% respectively and among those aged 70 and over, they are 16%, 19% and 9% respectively ( Table 4.48).

Difficulty undertaking activities

The survey also asks about any difficulties household members might have with a number of day-to-day activities.

• The activities that people with a long-standing limiting illness, health problem or disability are most likely to find difficult are climbing stairs (52%), walking for at least 10 minutes (50%), standing for at least 10 minutes (45%) and doing housework (39%) ( Table 4.49).
• Significant proportions of people with a long-standing limiting illness, health problem or disability had problems using public transport - 30% find using a bus difficult and 23% find using a train difficult.
• Among adults with a long-standing limiting illness, health problem or disability, 71% have difficulty managing on their own for at least one activity ( Table 4.50).
• Almost a quarter (23%) of those with a long-standing limiting illness, health problem or disability have difficulty with one or two of the activities listed in Table 4.49. Twenty-eight per cent have difficulty with between three and five of these activities and over a fifth (21%) have difficulty managing with over five activities.
• Those aged 75 and over are the most likely to find five or more activities difficult, with almost a third (31%) of them doing so, although nearly a fifth (17%) have no difficulties with any activities ( Table 4.50).

Equipment and adaptations to housing

Of those adults with a long-standing limiting illness, health problem or disability, over a third (34%) have special equipment or adaptations to their home to help them manage independently.

• The likelihood of having such equipment or adaptations increases with age, with only 10% of those aged 16 to 24 with a long-standing limiting illness, health problem or disability having these, compared to 56% of those aged 75 and over ( Table 4.51).
• Eighteen per cent of adults with a long-standing limiting illness, health problem or disability feel they need adaptations and special equipment that they currently do not have which would make it easier for them to manage independently (No table).
• Older people are more likely to feel that there are additional adaptations and equipment that could make it easier for them to manage independently, with 23% of those aged 75 and over doing so, compared with 11% of those aged 16 to 24 years ( Table 4.53).
• The most common types of equipment used by adults with a long-standing limiting illness, health problem or disability are handrails (51%), bath/shower seats (47%) and a walking stick or crutch (47%) ( Table 4.52).
• Handrails and bath and shower seats are the most commonly identified additional types of equipment which would make it easier for them to manage independently (35% and 28% respectively) ( Table 4.52).

Household members receiving care

Just over one in 10 (12%) of all households contain someone who needs regular help or care because they are sick, disabled or elderly.

• The majority of those needing such care are aged 60 or over (59%) and a further fifth (19%) are aged between 45 and 59 years (No table). Of those needing care, 7% are less than 16 years old (No table).
• 'Single pensioner' and 'older smaller' households are most likely to contain at least one person requiring regular help or care (20% and 21% respectively), while 'small family' households are least likely to do so (5%) ( Table 4.54).
• Households with at least one person who needs regular help or care because they are sick, disabled or elderly are more prevalent in social rented housing than in other tenure types. Compared with 12% overall, 21% of those in local authority and 23% in housing association accommodation contain someone requiring care ( Table 4.55).
• Households with at least one person who needs regular help or care are more likely to have a low net household income ( Table 4.56).
• In relation to local authority grouping, Grampian has the lowest proportion of households with someone who needs regular help or care because they are sick, disabled or elderly (8%). In contrast, Glasgow and Renfrewshire and Inverclyde have the highest proportion of households that contain someone who needs regular help or care because they are sick, disabled or elderly (15% each) ( Table 4.57).

Care providers inside and outside the household

Table 4.58 shows the number of household members needing care within households, the number of carers and whether carers are from within the household, outside or a combination of the two.

• One per cent of households with at least one person requiring regular help and care contain a household member who needs care but does not receive any.
• In households where someone needs care, 37% of those who need care only have one carer from outside the household and the same proportion have only one carer living in the household ( Table 4.58).
• Almost two-thirds (62%) of these carers provide continuous care for someone in the household and a further 10% spend 20 hours or more a week providing such care ( Figure 4.3).
• In households where someone other than a household member provides regular care or help, for example another relative or the social work department, 68% receive less than 20 hours a week of external care ( Figure 4.4).
• However, over a fifth of household members who receive care from outside the household receive 20 hours or more care from outside sources: 8% receive continuous care and 13% receive 20 hours or more. ( Figure 4.4).

Home helps

Of adults with a long-standing limiting illness, health problem or disability, 14% have a home help who helps with tasks such as cleaning, cooking or shopping, rising to 35% of those aged 75 or over (No table).

• Around half (51%) of adults who have home helps receive this service from the local council or social work department, around a third (31%) have private arrangements and around a fifth (22%) have some other arrangement (No table).

Adults who provide care

The survey found that a tenth of adults provide regular help or care for a sick, disabled or elderly person not living with them, which is not part of their employment. (No table).

• Women are slightly more likely than men to provide regular help or care for a sick, disabled or elderly person not living with them, which is not part of their employment (12% and 8% respectively) (No table).
• Those aged 45 to 59 years are most likely to provide care to someone not in their household (15%) compared with adults in other age groups (No table).
• Most adults providing this help or care spend less than 19 hours per week doing so (77%). However, 13% spend 20 hours or more doing so (including continuous care) ( Table 4.59).
• Despite the number of hours spent providing regular help and care for any sick, disabled or elderly persons, this only prevents around 6% of adults who provide care to someone outside the household from doing paid work, or as much paid work as they might otherwise do (No table).

Childcare

For those households where the highest income householder or their partner is responsible for at least one person under the age of 18 living in the household, the survey collects information about the use of childcare in the past seven days.

• In around a quarter (26%) of such households, someone outside the household cared for the child(ren) for more than five hours in the previous week ( Table 4.60).
• This is the case for over a third of single parent and small family households (35% each), compared to only 14% of large family households ( Table 4.60).
• Childcare provided by someone outside the household is most common in 'other urban areas' and 'accessible small towns' (28%) and least common in 'very remote rural' areas (17%) ( Table 4.61).
• In terms of local authority grouping, childcare provided by someone outwith the household was most common in Tayside, Fife and Central (all 31%). Use of such childcare was least common in Highland and Islands (18%) ( Table 4.62).
• The main reason for using outside childcare in the previous week was to enable the highest income householder or their partner to go out to work (77%) ( Table 4.63). Only 3% of those using outside childcare did so to enable the highest income householder or their partner to participate in education or training.
• Of those households using outside childcare with a net annual household income of 20,000 or more, 85% do so to enable the highest income householder or their partner to go to work and 2% to enable them to undertake education or training ( Table 4.63).
• Of those paying for outside childcare in the previous seven days, over half (52%) paid less than 50 for it (No table).