LifeSim is an existing microsimulation that aims to model developmental, economic, social, and health outcomes from birth to death (Skarda et al., 2021). One use of this model is to understand how early life inequalities translate to economic costs later in life – for example recent work from the Connected Bradford team has found that early differences in attainment of a Good Level of Development at the end of Reception year are associated with a greater probability of becoming NEET at 16-17, which has major implications for long-term social and economic wellbeing as adults. It is easy to imagine how early inequality has a snowball effect on the economic cost associated with them, yet there is a reluctance to invest in early intervention as the benefits are not immediately tangible and emerge over the course of a lifetime. LifeSim aims to provide this long-term economic understanding of early inequalities, and as part of ensuring its robustness there is a desire to check the model assumptions against different demographics, which will add to knowledge on how interventions can be distributed to realise the greatest long-term benefit.
17/07/2024
1 year
