Demos

Attitudes to inheritance.

Programme

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Assets

Duration

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January 2022 – July 2023

Grant Awarded

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£108,772

Project summary

Research to gain greater understanding of public attitudes to inheritance, and build a coalition for reform.

Context

The value of inheritances in the UK has grown significantly in recent decades. Over time, this is likely to lead to increased inequality and reduced social mobility. For those born in the 1980s, inheritances are projected to increase lifetime incomes for those with parents in the bottom fifth by just 5%, compared to 29% for those with parents in the top fifth. However, there have been few attempts to address policies relating to inheritance.

Project overview

Demos aims to build a framework supporting debate around inheritance, shifting the political and social landscape to create the conditions for change. This will include:

  1. Gaining a deeper understanding of public attitudes towards inheritance, in particular different attitudinal groups, areas of consensus between these groups, and the drivers of these attitudes.
  2. Building a movement of organisations to engage with issues around inheritance through a culture of pluralism and collaboration.
  3. Creating political space for change.