Parenthood, well-being, and family policy change in the United Kingdom: The social investment that almost happened

Abstract Family policy in the United Kingdom shifted from expansionary social investment period under the Labour governments (1997–2010) to retrenchment after 2010. This article examines whether this shift corresponded with changes in parental eudaimonic well-being, focusing on agency, resilience, and sense of purpose. Using longitudinal data from the British Household Panel Survey and Understanding Society, the analysis tracks within-individual well-being trajectories between 1997 and 2015. A segmented fixed-effects approach examines changes around a structural break in 2011. Sense of purpose shows the clearest immediate decline after 2011, while agency and resilience decline more gradually. These changes are most pronounced when individuals have young children in the household. Overall, the findings suggest that the parenthood gap in eudaimonic well-being widened after 2010. More broadly, the findings contribute to debates about how capacitating family policy shapes parents’ perceived capacity and what may be lost when such policies are withdrawn.