Working with our survey data

The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) undertake surveys to support evidence-based decision making for our ongoing work on the UK Strategy for Financial Wellbeing. The data from the surveys also informs our corporate plan and strategy.

We are always pleased to see our data being used. If you see a statistic, some data or a graphic that you’d like to use then please let us know.  All that we ask is the opportunity to review and check any publication which uses our data as a source.  We would also expect Money and Pensions Service to be cited as a data source in the publication.

Please get in touch by emailing [email protected]Opens in a new window and we can review to ensure that data is being cited correctly. We may also be able to offer you more up to date data.

We would expect to see:

• the Money and Pensions Service and the name of the report (if applicable) cited in the body text or footnotes
• if possible, a link to the relevant report or webpage.

For example:

• Source: Money and Pensions Service, UK MoneyView 2025
• The Money and Pensions Service Debt Need Survey 2023, tells us that x% of people have done y.
• Source: Money and Pensions Service, Children and Young People’s Financial Wellbeing Survey 2022 
• The Adult Financial Wellbeing Survey 2021 from the Money and Pensions Service reports that x% of adults in the UK say they feel worried when thinking about money matters.

If you are using graphics from our MoneyView 2025 reports, you will find source and base size data on each graphic, which you can use in your publications.

Depending on the type of publication and the data used, we may ask for the following to be added to the publication:

This report represents the research and views solely of the authors and of the [insert organisation the authors work for].  The analysis, interpretation and recommendations that originate from our use of the [insert name of Money and Pensions Survey] are those of the [insert organisation the authors work for] and are not the responsibility of and do not necessarily represent the Money and Pensions Service.

If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for in a report or on our website, we will do our best to help – and in some cases we can do small pieces of straightforward analysis to assist.   

You can contact us about this by emailing [email protected]Opens in a new window . 

If we can’t help you with your request ourselves, or you have a more complex piece of analysis you’d like to do, it may be appropriate for you to obtain the raw data yourself via the process described in the next sections of this page.

We make much of the data we collect available for others to analyse via the Geographic Data ServiceOpens in a new window (GeoDS).

The following data sets are available, and we plan to add more over time: 

• MoneyView2025Opens in a new window 
• Debt Need Survey 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023Opens in a new window 
• Children and Young People’s Financial Wellbeing Survey, 2019, 2022Opens in a new window 
• Adult Financial Wellbeing Survey 2021 Opens in a new window

You can find out more about each data set by creating an accountOpens in a new window at the Geographic Data Service (GeoDS)and then logging in. 

We provide access via the Geographic Data ServiceOpens in a new window (GeoDS) as they ask people who make applications to consider the following key areas, which we then assess as part of an application:

• Public benefit - will the data be used for the public good?
• Data security - how will the data be stored and accessed?
• Ethical standards - does the organisation or person who want the data comply with recognised standards?
• Training - are the people who are going to be working with the data trained to perform the proposed analysis?

We are open to sharing the data with organisations or individuals as long as they can evidence good practice and cover off these points satisfactorily in their application.  This keeps the people who respond to our surveys, MaPS and the person applying to use the data safe.

You should bear in mind a few points before applying to access the data.

You will be able to access files containing the raw data from these surveys.  These will contain between 10,000 and 23,000 records. Each record contains the answers given by a participant in the survey.

All of the data we place on the Geographic Data Service (GeoDS) is anonymous, as when members of the public give up their time to take part in one of our surveys, we provide them with assurances about how the data will be used, which includes their right not to be identified.

You will likely need to use specialist software to work with this data such as SPSS or Stata.  The data is provided in csv format which is compatible with most statistical software.  If you do not have people in-house who are experienced users of this type of software, you will need to look at outsourcing the analysis of the data.

Spreadsheet software such as Excel is not likely to be suitable for analysing any of our data sets.  The number of data fields that we have for each record may exceed the maximum number of columns allowed.

After you have created an accountOpens in a new window at the Geographic Data Service you can start your application.  The application process will ask about your plans for using the data and the training and skills of the people who will be handling the data set.

Once you have completed the application the Geographic Data Service will share this with MaPS and we will decide on whether to grant access.  We look at applications and make a decision as quickly as we can. We may ask for clarification on some aspects of your application. If your application is successful, the Geographic Data Service will then follow their process to allow you to access the data securely.

Also see

• Our research
• Take part in our surveys