23 August 2011 – Publication of DWP research report 769: 'Six Month Offer evaluation: findings from the longitudinal claimant survey'

A report is published today by the Department for Work and Pensions which documents the evaluation of the Six Month Offer (6MO) including its four constituent support strands: volunteering; training; access to a Recruitment Subsidy; and support to become self- employed.

The report presents findings from the second wave of the Six Month Offer longitudinal claimant survey carried out in March 2011 and compares and contrasts these to an initial survey carried out one year earlier in March 2010.

Key findings from the research:

• Across the four Six Month Offer strands employment outcomes achieved at the initial survey have proved to be sustainable. At the longitudinal survey majorities of claimants had progressed with their employer in terms of hours, responsibilities, pay and/or contract status.
• Similarly indications for on-going sustainability appeared to be positive. Majorities of employees working for an employer were on permanent contracts, considered the current job to be a good match for their skills, experience and interests. Most felt they were financially better-off than when claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance.
• Conversely there was a minority within each of the strands who reported they were no better off financially in employment. This was more prevalent in the self-employment strand.
• Claimants who received Self-Employment Credit tended to start-up self-employment more quickly than those claimants not in receipt. Employment outcomes at the longitudinal survey were not affected.
• The bulk-billing and voucher payment routes for the recruitment subsidy appear to impact on the duration employees remained with the recruiting employer. Bulk-billing payment route employees were less likely to still be working for the same subsidy employer.

Notes to Editors:

1. DWP Research Report 769, ‘Six Month Offer evaluation: findings from the longitudinal claimant survey’ will be published on 23rd August 2011.
2. The report presents findings from the second wave of a longitudinal survey of Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants in March 2011 who had experienced the Six Month Offer.  Claimants had also been interviewed one year earlier in March 2010. The two surveys enabled exploration of the claimant experience and comparison of the longer term destinations for the four strands of the Six Month.
3. The 2011 survey comprised just over one thousand six-hundred claimants, approximately four hundred per strand and was a subset of the 2010 survey. The 2010 survey comprised just over four thousand claimants, approximately one thousand per strand.
4. Reported differences in outcomes between the initial and follow-up surveys do not represent estimates of net impact. These will be reported when the impact analysis is completed in early 2012.
5. The evaluation was carried out on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions by a consortium led by the Policy Studies Institute (PSI). The surveys were conducted by IFF Research Ltd.
6. The authors are Lorna Adams, Katie Oldfield and Angus Tindle of IFF Research Limited.

Website: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rrs-index.asp

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