Research and analysis

The Work Programme Evaluation 2020 (HTML)

Published 18 February 2022

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1. The Work Programme Evaluation 2020

  • The Work Programme (2011-2017) provided support to nearly 2-million unemployed people between 2011 to 2017 to find sustained work.
  • It had an overall cost of 拢2.9-billion and saw 630,000 employment opportunities lasting 13 or 26 weeks.
  • When individuals joined the programme, they received support for two years from a designated provider, regardless of changes in employment.
  • These designated providers came from public, private and third sector organisations.

2. Methodology

  • An impact evaluation and cost-benefit analysis were used to analyse this programme.
  • The gap between the end of the Work Programme (March 2017) and the start of the Work and Health Programme (April 2018) was used for comparison.
  • Two groups formed from individuals eligible for the Work Programme before its end and those who would have been eligible after the programme closed.
  • Propensity Score Matching (PSM) was used to compare small individual differences between these two groups.
  • For two years, employment and benefit status were tracked of these two groups.
  • Cost Benefit Analysis was used to estimate the social cost of the programme.

3. Findings

  • Those who took part in the Work Programme had 46 additional days in employment where they didn鈥檛 receive benefits over the two years.
  • They also received out of work benefits for 70 fewer days than those not on the programme.
  • Considering this, the Cost Benefit Analysis found a return of 拢3.21 for each 拢1 spent on the Work Programme.

Cost Benefit ratio estimates using in employment and not in receipt of an Out-of-W benefit:

Participant DWP Exchequer Society
Impact of participation 2 year observed 拢1.25 拢0.83 拢1.50 拢1.75
听 3 year extrapolated 拢1.26 拢1.31 拢2.38 拢2.68
听 4 year extrapolated 拢1.26 拢1.76 拢3.21 拢3.51
Range of Impact 2 year observed 拢1.22 to 拢1.27 拢0.56 to 拢1.10 拢1.00 to 拢2.01 拢1.16 to 拢2.31
听 3 year extrapolated 拢1.23 to 拢1.27 拢0.89 to 拢1.72 拢1.60 to 拢3.15 拢1.82 to 拢3.48
听 4 year extrapolated 拢1.23 to 拢1.27 拢1.21 to 拢2.32 拢2.17 to 拢4.25 拢2.42 to 拢4.51

4. Impacts

  • The evaluation contributed to DWP鈥檚 understanding of contracted provision effectiveness for addressing unemployment. It demonstrated that contracted provision could deliver value for money.
  • The learning from the programme, alongside other evaluation evidence, informed a substantial part of the evidence base for Restart.
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