Reviewing the evidence in key areas for the UK Department of Work and Pensions

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What is the issue?

RAND has been commissioned by the UK Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to undertake a number of evidence reviews on different topics.

  1. Effective contracting of employment and health services
  2. Digitalising welfare services
  3. Comparing state pension age systems
  4. Understanding household formation and preventing living-together fraud
  5. Understanding the effectiveness of interventions to promote in-work progression.

How are we helping?

In synthesising evidence on these important topics, these evidence reviews will inform policy and practice for DWP and other policymakers.

Effective contracting of employment and health services

Drawing on desk research, telephone interviews with stakeholders and a synthesis workshop, researchers will gather evidence on the most effective strategy for contracting out health and employment services. It will focus on four elements:

  1. contract design
  2. market competition
  3. live running, and
  4. the benefits and costs of contracting out

Digitalising welfare services

The aim of this review is to understand the impact of digitalising public services on costs and savings, as well the operational implications of digitalisation and its broader social impact. We will conduct desk research and interviews with organisations who have digitalised services.

Comparing state pension age systems

Drawing on desk research, this review gathers evidence on decision making in relation to state pension age policies in OECD countries.

Understanding household formation and preventing living-together fraud

Researchers will gather evidence on approaches to defining the household or benefit unit for the purposes of social policy, including how this contributes to fraud and error in the welfare system.

Understanding the effectiveness of interventions to promote in-work progression

Drawing on international literature, this Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) summarises evidence on the effectiveness of interventions to promote in-work progression.