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Evaluation of the Intensive Activity Period 50plus Pilots

Research Report No. 388

by John Atkinson, Jo Casebourne, Sara Davis, Sara Dewson, Jonny Gifford and Siobhan Tuohy

New Deal 25 plus (ND25+) provides job search assistance, training opportunities, work placements to people aged between 25 and the state pension age who have been claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for 18 out of 21 months. It comprises three stages:

  • Gateway å? up to four months of intensive jobsearch assistance;
  • IAP å? a variety of assistance (training, work experience etc.) lasting 13 to 52 weeks;
  • Follow-through å? further jobsearch assistance for up to three months.

    At present, people aged 50 and over on ND25+ can volunteer to participate in the Intensive Activity Period (IAP). The Pensions Green Paper Simplicity, security and choice: working and saving for retirement announced the intention to run a pilot study mandating participation. This has been running since April 2004 in 14 Jobcentre Plus districts. This report documents the findings of the qualitative evaluation of the pilots.

    The research was carried out in four of the fourteen pilot sites, and was based on face to face interviews involving 75 staff, 23 providers and 182 participants, in two waves, in spring 2005 and winter 2005/06.

    September 2006

    ISBN 1 84712 095 4

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