Project Leader: Alan Marsh
Sponsor: DSS (with CRSP)
Period: September 2000 to January 2001
Background
The Department of Social Security wishes to commission a project with the joint aims firstly of examining transitions between Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) and Incapacity Benefit or Income Support (OB/IS); and secondly of people who return to JSA after initially leaving for short periods of work.
The research will make use of data collected in the Jobseeker's Allowance client survey and of the Leaving Incapacity Benefit survey. The research is to be carried out by the Department's two core funded centres: the Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP) and the Policy Studies Institute (PSI), who respectively were involved in the initial surveys. A single report will be produced to cover both aspects of the research, and this will be co-ordinated by CRSP.
Policy context
The Government's aim is 'employment opportunity for all', more specifically its: '…employment ambition is to deliver high and stable levels of employment, taking account of the economic cycle, so that at least three quarter of the working age population are in work by the end of the decade.' (Treasury, 2000a, Box 4.1)
It believes that work is the 'surest route out of poverty' and social exclusion (Cm, 1998), and that increasing the supply of labour will facilitate economic growth and avoid skill shortages and inflationary pressures.
Accordingly, Government is pursuing its welfare to work strategy; aiding the transition to work from both out-of-work benefits and the informal economy. The U.K. has a high proportion of workless households and, in part, this is being addressed by assisting people on incapacity-related benefits who wish to work to do so. The Government has also accepted the recommendation of Lord Grabiner (Treasury, 2000b) that in order to make it easier for people out of work to try paid employment, Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance claims will, from April 2002, be suspended for 12 weeks. In addition, from April 2001, a one year linking rule will be introduced for lone parents claiming Income Support (Treasury, 2000a). These measures will make reclaiming easier if a job falls through during the relevant period.
The research needs to be set in context of the prevalence of employment, unemployment and economic inactivity: