Understanding Society User Support

Hi Dan,

Looking at the questionnaire (https://www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/documentation/main-survey/questionnaires/6614-main-survey-questionnaire-w13.pdf), the svb variables use predefined threshold values to estimate savings amounts when exact balances are unknown. The thresholds vary by account type, as follows (for each the question wording is "Would that amount to £ [AMOUNT] or more?"):

• SVB1 thresholds (first branching question):
o Current account: £1,000
o Savings/deposit accounts: £1,000
o NS&I savings accounts: £2,500
o ISA (cash only): £1,000
o ISA (stocks and shares or PEPs): £1,000
o Premium Bonds: £200
o Other types of savings accounts: £1,000

• SVB2 thresholds (next level branching):
o Current account: £5,000
o Savings/deposit accounts: £5,000
o NS&I savings accounts: £10,000
o ISA (cash only): £5,000
o ISA (stocks and shares or PEPs): £5,000
o Premium Bonds: £500
o Other types of savings accounts: £5,000

• SVB3 thresholds:
o Current account: £25,000
o Savings/deposit accounts: £25,000
o NS&I savings accounts: £50,000
o ISA (cash only): £25,000
o ISA (stocks and shares or PEPs): £25,000
o Premium Bonds: £5,000
o Other types of savings accounts: £25,000

• SVB4 thresholds (lower than SVB1):
o Current account: £500
o Savings/deposit accounts: £500
o NS&I savings accounts: £500
o ISA (cash only): £500
o ISA (stocks and shares or PEPs): £500
o Premium Bonds: £100
o Other types of savings accounts: £500

• SVB5 thresholds (highest values):
o Current account: £100,000
o Savings/deposit accounts: £100,000
o NS&I savings accounts: £250,000
o ISA (cash only): £100,000
o ISA (stocks and shares or PEPs): £100,000
o Premium Bonds: £10,000
o Other types of savings accounts: £100,000

Then, looking at the variables, they follow the pattern m_svbX_Y, where:

X (1, 2, 3, 5, 4) refers to different savings threshold levels:

svb1: Initial threshold (e.g., £1,000 for many accounts)
svb2: Higher threshold (e.g., £5,000)
svb3: Even higher threshold (e.g., £25,000)
svb5: Maximum threshold (e.g., £100,000)
svb4: Lower than svb1 (e.g., £500)

Y (1, 2, 3, …, 6, 97) represents different savings account types:

1: Current account
2: Savings/deposit account
3: NS&I savings account
4: ISA (cash)
5: ISA (stocks and shares or PEPs)
6: Premium Bonds
97: Other savings accounts

I hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Piotr Marzec
UKHLS User Support