Researchers and those interested specifically in data may wish to go directly to:
If you have a question that isn’t answered here, please email info@ukllc.ac.uk. To make it simpler, questions and answers have been grouped into themes. All questions were developed with members of the UK LLC Public Involvement Programme. New questions and answers may be added over time.
We have been set up to bring together de-identified Longitudinal Population Study data from its partner Longitudinal Population Studies. De-identified participant data is linked with health, administrative (for example education, occupation, tax and benefits) and place-based (for example air pollution and availability of green spaces) data. The linked data is held in a Trusted Research Environment (TRE) which is a highly secure computing environment where data can be accessed (following prior approval) but cannot be removed. The UK LLC TRE provides a rich source of linked longitudinal data that can be accessed by approved researchers for public good research.
Please visit our webpage Our Services. There is currently no charge for data access and researcher support. If you are a Longitudinal Population Study who wishes to join us as a partner – read more on our Partner LPS page.
Our Trusted Research Environment is hosted by Swansea University’s Secure eResearch Platform (SeRP UK). SeRP UK is ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials certified. Certification to the ISO 27001 standard is recognised worldwide to indicate that an organisation is aligned with international information security best practices. Cyber Essentials is a Government-backed certification scheme that helps keep your organisation’s and your customers’ data safe from cyber attacks.
No. Our Trusted Research Environment only holds data connected to people who are part of a UK LLC partner Longitudinal Population Study and have been informed of being part of UK LLC via their usual communication routes. If you’re not a participant in one of our partner Longitudinal Population Study, there will be no data related to you in our Trusted Research Environment.
We are part of the University of Bristol which is the Data Controller for the information placed in its Trusted Research Environment. The full privacy document can be found here: https://ukllc.ac.uk/privacy-policy/
No. We are funded by UK Research and Innovation, the Medical Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council. No data used within its Trusted Research Environment may be used for profit-making purposes.
The findings arising from researchers using our Trusted Research Environment will be used for public good. This may include benefits such as informing public health policy, NHS and government planners, expanding knowledge of health conditions, informing treatment interventions and understanding more about how our behaviours relate to our health and wellbeing, and our daily lives.
Yes. We require that manuscripts are reviewed. The UK LLC Publication Policy states that all manuscripts are to be reviewed by us before being sent to journals to ensure all data owners are acknowledged appropriately.
No, people can’t sign up to join directly. We provide a research resource that brings together existing data to facilitate and enhance research possibilities, rather than a standalone study. This means that members of the public cannot join.
Longitudinal Population Studies work by selecting a group of individuals or buildings (such as homes) and then repeatedly collecting data on these people (or the people living in the buildings) over time. These groups of people are typically chosen due to a common factor, such as groups of pregnant women or people living in a particular area or in a specific age range. These data can lead to discovery of new information to improve health and wellbeing and save lives. You can learn more about these types of study from CLOSER’s website: Learning Hub | Introduction to longitudinal studies
Yes. Participants from any of our partner Longitudinal Population Studies (LPS) who wish to opt-out, either for themselves, or on behalf of a child, from having their information being shared with us can do so. They should contact their LPS team directly and let them know. Participants have the right to opt-out at any time. If you choose to opt-out your LPS team will manage this process according to their standard policies and procedures.
It is highly unlikely that anyone will be identified due to the security and safeguards in place.
All the data in the Trusted Research Environment (TRE) is de-identified. This means information such as name, address and birth date have been removed and replaced by a code ID number. Each of our partner Longitudinal Population Studies and data providers (e.g. NHS, ONS, HMRC) will make sure that the data they provide is de-identified before it is sent securely to the TRE.
Our Data Team are trained specialists, bound by professional conduct and contractual obligation. They manage the handling and protection of the data, and it never leaves the TRE, which is based in the UK and is covered by UK data protection laws.
In the highly unlikely event that a participant is accidentally identified then we have policies to deal with this. All researchers using the TRE are legally bound to maintain privacy in the same way as a doctor is for their patient.
As the data held within the Trusted Research Environment is de-identified, it cannot be linked back to any individual. This means it’s not possible to identify or report any individual level detail back to any participants.
No. There will be no change to any participants’ health records or change any care they’re receiving. GPs and doctors will not learn anything new about participants.
Yes. Regular updates are sent to our partner Longitudinal Population Studies which they can include in their communications to participants e.g. newsletters, emails, social channels. Our website features all publications https://ukllc.ac.uk/publication-data alongside more in-depth lay versions of findings featured in our News section which will also be published on LinkedIn and Bluesky.
This information is available in our data catalogue, called UK LLC Explore.
Our Trusted Research Environment (TRE) has Longitudinal Population Study data linked to a variety of other data sources (health, administrative socio-economic, demographic and placed-based data) and has a four-nation approach.
Our TRE has more extensive linkages than other TREs.
Data in our TRE are refreshed regularly.
Our TRE holds DEA accreditation and is ISO 27001 certified. Read more about our Data Security.
We welcome applications from any UK-based bona fide researcher, including PhD students. As part of our ‘Five Safes’ application process, all applicants must demonstrate that they are ‘safe people’ who are trained and authorised to use data safely. Only researchers with Office for National Statistics Accredited Researcher status are permitted access to the Trusted Research Environment. In addition, all applicants must be part of a research organisation with the skills and capacity to conduct professional and high-quality research that is for the public good. Research for profit-making purposes is not permitted. For further details, please read section 5 in the Data Access and Acceptable Use Policy ‘Eligibility and Requirements to Access Data’.
Researchers may apply via our application system, called UK LLC Apply.
Applications go through a process where they are reviewed by our team, the partner Longitudinal Population Studies and members of the public. Applications are then are either approved or declined. In some cases, applicants may be asked for further information or to make amendments to their applications before a final decision is reached.
All researchers must have undertaken Safe Researcher Training and be approved by the Office for National Statistics before they are allowed to access data. All researchers are bound by contract which includes clauses to maintain confidentiality and security of the data, both by the researcher and the UK institution where they are based.
Our TRE is a Windows 10 remote desktop environment. Each approved researcher will be given access to a series of project-specific database views. UK LLC Guidebook covers all topics related to working in the TRE, including getting started, software available, requesting file outs, asking for an amendment to your project and FAQs.
We support researchers in using their preferred software packages. The following packages are pre-installed in the Trusted Research Environment: SQL Server Management Studio, Python, R and RStudio, Stata, Jupyter Notebooks, and SPSS. If you prefer to use other software, please contact support@ukllc.ac.uk
Several organisations offer the Safe Researcher Training (SRT) course that you must pass to obtain Office for National Statistics (ONS) Accredited Researcher status. SRT courses are provided by:
Scottish Centre for Administrative Data Research (SCADR): see ONS Safe Researcher Training course (ONS-SRT) | SCADR
ONS: email srs.customer.support@ons.gov.uk for the dates of forthcoming courses
UK Data Service: see Training and events — UK Data Service
Yes, researchers can go through the appeal process once.
Yes, amendments may be made to an approved project, e.g. adding/removing named researchers, requesting an extension to your time in the Trusted Research Environment. For further information, see UK LLC Guidebook.
For any queries related to your application, please email access@ukllc.ac.uk
Our partner Longitudinal Population Studies (LPS) retain control of their data. This means that for every application, the partner LPS decides whether or not to approve an application.
In addition, our data application process involves 2 specialist review panels, a Linked Data Review Panel and a Data Access Public Review Panel reviewing applications, which are reviewed against an agreed set of criteria, that includes the review of public good, public involvement plans and consideration of the proposed use of requested data.
No. Commercial companies cannot request access to the data we hold.
No. Data can only currently be accessed by researchers based within the UK.
Yes. We operate a Public Involvement Programme with a diverse membership made up of members of the public. People are involved across our work including areas of governance, strategy, communications, data access, public acceptability, ethics, conferences and evaluation.
We welcome members of the public over 18 years of age who are interested in the use of data for public good research, in particular people who are participants in any of our partner Longitudinal Population Studies. No previous experience is required.
You may email comms@ukllc.ac.uk to let us know that you are interested in becoming one of our public contributors and wish to be informed of any opportunities.
Yes. We offer compensation to all our public contributors.
These are the records generated by government service providers as part of everyone’s daily life – such as education, employment and tax and benefits records. Administrative Data Research UK has created a helpful animation to help explain this in more detail.
Adding administrative socio-economic and demographic data to our Trusted Research Environment and combining it/linking it to linked health data and other information collected over time will enhance researchers’ ability to address important issues that affect people’s health and wellbeing and better understand linked associations between health, social, behavioural and economic research.
For example, researchers can examine how health and mental health conditions affect care provision among different socio-demographic groups and understand the social impact of childhood adversity on adult health inequality.
The Digital Economy Act 2017, Section 64: Disclosure of information for research purposes.
For more information about the laws and legal principles involved in the use of Longitudinal Population Data for research you can view our infographic series, produced in partnership with members of the public from our Public Advisory Group – Understanding Longitudinal Population Study Data and the Law.
Not all will. Each partner Longitudinal Population Study (LPS) has their own set of conditions that have been agreed with their participants. Some LPS will choose not to link participant and administrative socio-economic and demographic data for a variety of reasons.
For example, studies based in Scotland may not want to link to Department for Education data, as this data is English.
Some LPS may not have appropriate permissions in place at this time and will require further engagement with their participants before they begin to explore undertaking further links.
We are working with a small number of studies to pilot the linking of LPS data to administrative socio-economic and demographic data.
If you are not a participant in one of these LPS, you may not be contacted for some time, perhaps up to a year.
If your LPS is not taking part in linking these data, you will not hear from them about this subject, and you will continue to receive your usual communications.
We have been granted permission from UK Government departments, including HM Revenue and Customs, Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education, to link this data with Longitudinal Population Study data.
For example:
Data collected by HMRC for the purposes of assessing total pay and tax liabilities such as P60 and P14 detailing pay and tax deductions
Employment and Occupational/Personal Pension records
Data collected for the administration of National Insurance
Data collected and maintained by HMRC for the administration and payment of Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credits, child benefit
Department of Education data – for example data on Key stage Attainment ages 5- 18 – based on teacher assessments (early years) and teacher and externally marked tests including GCSE, A level and equivalent
School Census data: Absences, Information, Exclusions.
Collectively, this data helps to provide a more rounded picture of people’s lives and the impact of major events, for example, the coronavirus pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.
We are working together with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and government departments to use the existing data already held with ONS, to minimise movement of data and provide a more sustainable and acceptable process.
We will ensure data is only accessed in the Trusted Research Environment and only by approved researchers who are trained in how to handle data correctly.
The ONS will develop a system to carry out and quality assesses the way that the linking of data happens.
No. This will depend on any local conditions that have been agreed between our partner LPS and their participants.
Each LPS will be collating information on permissions given by their participants. This information will be marked as a ‘flag’ in the data extract that is sent to NHS Digital Health and Care Wales, our trusted third party. This ‘flag’ indicates whether those details should be sent for linkage to HMRC, DWP or DfE.
Any participants who are not clear on what they have agreed with their LPS should contact their research team.
This will be an ongoing process with the linking of data due to start in the second half of 2025.
It will take up to two years for the process to be completed with our existing partner Longitudinal Population Studies (LPS). Then as new partner LPS come on board, they will have the opportunity to link their LPS data to administrative socio-economic and demographic data.
We have started the preparation for this work with a small group of our partner LPS.
Yes, everyone will have some administrative socio-economic and demographic data, but some will have more than others.
People who were born in the UK will have had this type of data collected – these come in the form of birth certificates, immunisation records and nursery/school registrations and so on, throughout the person’s life.
Some people may have fewer data. For example, those who have migrated to the UK, who are part of a Traveller community or children who have always been home educated. If these individuals are participants in one of our partner Longitudinal Population Studies, they will have less of these data compared to others.
Although there are not precise numbers, it is anticipated that the number of participants in this position will not impact any research and everyone’s data will be valued.