Understanding the Behavioural Response to the Universal Credit support offer
Includes research into the earnings taper, work allowance, childcare support, and discretionary support beyond UC such as Restart, Access to Work, and passported benefits.
Documents
Details
Research background
Universal Credit (UC) aims to help claimants move into work by providing a combination of incentives and personalised support as part of its basic structure. However, the Universal Credit Full Service Omnibus 2018 found that understanding of the UC support offer was limited. This research investigated why UC claimants had such a low understanding of the support offer, and what difference improved understanding of this support makes to claimants’ perceptions of UC and motivation to engage in the labour market.
Contribution to the evidence base
This research provided DWP with in-depth insight into claimants’ understanding of the UC support offer and the impact of improved claimant understanding on their labour market related activities and behaviours.
Research value
This research has helped the Department to better understand claimants’ engagement with the UC support offer and improve the information provided to customers so they are more likely to understand the work incentives provided by Universal Credit. It also provided some qualitative insight into the effectiveness of existing work incentives on UC, such as the taper and work allowance.