Evaluation of Mandatory Work Activity

Department for Work and Pensions Research Report No 823

A report of research carried out by ICF GHK and TNS-BMRB on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions

Mandatory Work Activity was launched in May 2011 and is targeted at a small group of claimants and referral to MWA is at Jobcentre Plus Adviser discretion.

MWA is a work placement of 30 hours a week lasting for four weeks. The placements are sourced by contracted providers in organisations/institutions that deliver a community benefit.

The aim of MWA is to move claimants closer to work through:

• Gaining a better understanding of labour market discipline via the work placement and;
• Demonstrating to claimants that receipt of benefit for those able to work is conditional on their willingness to search for and take-up employment.

The latest official statistics on Mandatory Work Activity were published on the 14th November which report 90,470 referrals and 33,170 starts for the period May 2011 to August 2012. http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/pwp/mwa_aug12.pdf

This research complements the impact assessment of Mandatory Work Activity published in June 2012: http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2012/early_impacts_mwa.pdf

The research has found that MWA has an impact on participants’ proximity to the labour market via an impact on a range of soft outcomes. The research report also identifies a number of challenges in service delivery and makes recommendations, many of which DWP have already addressed through continuous improvement activity.

Summary (PDF 6pp)

Full report (PDF 169pp)

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