Will The Work Programme Work?

 Social Market Foundation Analysis of the Work Programme

The Social Market Foundation research and publish papers on topical social and economic issues. The SMF's previous analysis of welfare to work models influenced the design of the WP. They have now produced a paper examining the WP in the context of current unemployment rates and the rate of employment under the Flexible New Deal (FND). 

Their report, available in full below, suggests that the DWP:

• revise its minimum performance expectations in the light of the new data from FND, and introduce more credible incentives

• establish greater transparency about how it derived its estimates of minimum performance, and clarify how they would vary if economic conditions deteriorate, to create greater certainty and strengthen accountability
• introduce a comparative performance target for providers to clarify the consequences of relative underperformance

• consider raising outcome payments for providers to avoid the extensive disruption to jobseekers and major costs to taxpayers that would flow from widespread provider failure

• advance the Government’s aim to be the “most transparent government inthe world” by publishing monthly provider performance data, starting immediately

• investigate and monitor the distribution of outcome risk between primes and subcontractors if it wants subcontractors to remain viable in this highly risky environment

Read the full report here: Will The Work Programme Work?

The EDN's analysis of the Work Programme is available here