The report explores a question that matters for every council and health partner: how does household income shape the way people use healthcare? Funded by the Health Foundation and produced by Policy in Practice in partnership with Medway Council and the Medway and Swale Health and Care Partnership, the report links administrative benefits data with A&E admissions data at the household level.

It demonstrates that connecting these two datasets is not only technically feasible but also valuable, with sufficient overlap to support meaningful analysis. Crucially, the linked data highlights distinct vulnerabilities within the A&E population, revealing disproportionately higher rates of debt and disability among low-income attendees. Identifying these specific risk profiles strengthens the case for routinely linking benefits and health data to support smarter, prevention-focused interventions.