Research and analysis

Technical Report: How Move to UC customers manage their UC claim: Qualitiative Research

Published 28 May 2026

DWP research report no. 1132    

A report of research carried out by Ipsos on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions. 

Crown copyright 2026. 

You may re-use this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk or write to:

Information Policy Team
The National Archives
Kew
London
TW9 4DU

or email psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk. 

This document/publication is also available on our website 

If you would like to know more about DWP research, email socialresearch@dwp.gov.uk 

First published May 2026. 

ISBN - 978-1-78659-984-1

Views expressed in this report are not necessarily those of the Department for Work and Pensions or any other government department.

1. Technical Report

This report provides the technical and methodological details of research commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to understand the experiences of Move to Universal Credit (UC) customers managing their claims after the transition from their former legacy benefits. This report provides detail on the research methodology, including sampling, recruitment and fieldwork. Copies of the research materials are appended.

1.1 Background and context

Universal Credit is a means-tested benefit that was introduced in the UK to replace 6 ‘legacy’ benefits: Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Housing Benefit (HB), Income Support (IS), Working Tax Credit (WTC), and Child Tax Credit (CTC). By 2018, all new customers were required to apply for UC, while existing legacy benefit customers continued receiving their awards.

The Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) strategy for moving these remaining households to UC was set out in the department’s Completing the Move to UC policy document, published in April 2022^{[footnote 1]}.  

Since May 2022, households have been invited to move to UC in staggered phases. Several Discovery stages were conducted to understand how the transition to UC worked in practice for different customer groups and to inform future transitions. 

Following initial Discovery work with customers invited to move to UC in May 2022, the DWP concentrated on understanding the experiences of the move for households on WTC and CTC, with research published in December 2024.

This research aims to understand early experiences of those who have already moved, specifically around how they manage their UC account on a day-to-day basis, once claiming and in receipt of UC payments. In particular, the research explores the extent to which customer support needs affect their experiences.

1.2 Research aims

The DWP commissioned Ipsos UK to conduct qualitative research to explore the early experiences of former legacy benefit customers who had already transitioned to UC.

The key objective of this research was to better understand how Move customers manage their claim after the initial set up process has been completed, and to gather insights into the customer experience of claiming UC.

Specifically, the research sought to give insight into the following key topic areas:

• customers’ experiences of making a UC claim and processing their claim to the first statement

• identification of the support needed to manage a claim, once claiming UC, and among which types of customers

• customer experiences of UC compared to legacy benefits

1.3 Research methodology

A qualitative research approach was used to ensure an in-depth understanding of the Move to UC customer experience. This approach was designed to highlight the intricacies of the early UC management experience for former legacy benefit customers, and identify specific areas where additional support might be needed. Fieldwork focused on Move customers who had previously been in receipt of the following legacy benefits:

• Employment Support Allowance (ESA)
• Housing Benefit (HB)
• Working Tax Credits (WTC) or Child Tax Credits (CTC)
• ESA and HB
• WTC and CTC
• WTC and/or CTC and HB

Customers from each of the legacy benefit cohorts had been managing their UC claims the following number of months before they were interviewed: ESA only/ESA and HB (6-8 months), HB only (6-15 months), tax credits only (15-20 months), and HB and tax credits (12-18 months). Fieldwork took place from September to October 2025, with one additional interview conducted with a customer who was not fluent in English in January 2026.

• 91 in-depth interviews were conducted with Move to UC customers to capture a broad range of experiences in both setting up and managing an ongoing UC claim.
• The primary interview methodology was online followed by telephone with the option of a face-to-face interview available to ensure the research was fully accessible and that reasonable adjustments could be made.
• All participants were UC customers at the time of the interview.

During recruitment, 18 UC customers were found not to speak English well enough to be able to participate. In response to this, a second period of fieldwork was conducted between December 2025 and February 2026 to understand the experiences of these customers.  As a record of  customers’ spoken language(s) was not available, an insert in multiple languages explaining the research was developed. This was sent to all 18 customers alongside the primary invitation. Calls were then made to all 18 customers to confirm their first language. If contact was achieved, a second call was then made with an interpreter speaking the appropriate language to explain the research and invite them to participate.

Recruitment of these UC customers using the above methods proved very challenging, and only one depth interview was achieved. This took place in January 2026 and followed the same methodology as the primary fieldwork interviews, but with an interviewer that was able to speak the customer’s native language.

DWP provided a sample of former legacy benefit customers and who had already migrated to UC.

The sample fields included:

• contact details: name, address, telephone number
• demographic details: age band, sex
• details about former legacy benefits with varying combinations:
  • Housing Benefit (HB), Employment Support Allowance (ESA), Working Tax Credit (WTC), Child Tax Credit (CTC).
• details about their claim for UC: joint or single claim, conditionality group, date of UC claim, length of claim.

The full sample was constituted of 1,363 contacts.  

1.5 Recruitment quotas

Minimum and monitoring quotas were set to ensure a good mix of representation in the achieved sample while maintaining recruitment feasibility.

Hard quotas were used to ensure a mix of type of legacy benefit claimed. Soft quotas were used for demographic information such as gender, age and employment status. Table 1 shows the quotas for different characteristics and the achieved number of interviews in the final sample.

Table 1: Recruitment quotas and achieved interviews

Primary quota	Description	Quota	Achieved
Legacy benefit type	Employment Support Allowance (ESA) only	Min 20	19
Legacy benefit type	Housing Benefit (HB) only	Min. 16	16
Legacy benefit type	Working Tax Credit (WTC) only or Child Tax Credit (CTC) only	Min. 5	5
Legacy benefit type	ESA and HB	Min. 16	17
Legacy benefit type	WTC and CTC	Min. 15	18
Legacy benefit type	WTC and/or CTC and HB	Min. 16	16

Secondary quota	Description	Quota	Achieved
Gender	Male	Min. 40	40
Gender	Female	Min. 40	51
Gender	Non-binary	Mix and monitor	0
Under 35	Mix and monitor	9
Age	35 – 44	Mix and monitor	27
Age	45 – 54	Mix and monitor	25
Age	55+	Mix and monitor	30
Region	London	Max 15	13
Region	Wales	Min. 10	10
Region	Scotland	Min. 10	9
Region	England (outside of London)	Min 15	59
Work	Employed	Min. 30	24
Work	Self-employed	Min. 25	11
Work	Not working	Min. 25	56
Claim - joint/single	Single	Mix and monitor	70
Claim - joint/single	Joint	Mix and monitor	21
Claim type	Online	Mix and monitor	71
Claim type	Telephone	Mix and monitor	20
Support to manage claim needed	Informal support (friends/family)	Mix and monitor – Ipsos to review fall out during fieldwork period	15
Support to manage claim needed	Formal External support (e.g. charities, local authority)	Mix and monitor – Ipsos to review fall out during fieldwork period	17
Support to manage claim needed	Formal DWP support	Mix and monitor – Ipsos to review fall out during fieldwork period	17
Caring responsibilities	Yes	Mix and monitor	25
Caring responsibilities	No	Mix and monitor	66
Presence of children	No children	Mix and monitor	54
Presence of children	Pre-school aged children (aged up to and including 4)	Mix and monitor	2
Presence of children	(Dependent children) aged 5-18	Mix and monitor	35
Health conditions, disabilities or illness	Yes	Mix and monitor	64
Health conditions, disabilities or illness	No	Mix and monitor	27
[footnote 2] Claimed after 12 weeks	Yes	Mix and monitor	6
[footnote 2] Claimed after 12 weeks	No	Mix and monitor	85

1.6 Fieldwork preparation and recruitment

1.6.1 Advance communication to participants

All cases in the sample frame were sent an advance letter providing information about the research and the opportunity to opt out of further contact by calling or emailing the supplied project contact details. The letter informed participants that Ipsos was carrying out research on behalf of DWP to understand the experiences of customers who had migrated to Universal Credit. The letter said that if they wanted to take part, they would be contacted by recruiters to schedule an interview to take place at a convenient time via telephone or online. The letter also included links to DWP’s and Ipsos’ privacy policies and provided contact details for Ipsos and DWP so participants could ask any questions about the research.

Participants were given six days to opt out of the research before being contacted by recruiters. There were 21 opt outs.

During the recruitment process 18 UC customers were found not to speak English to a level that would allow them to participate in the research. To facilitate a supplementary period of recruitment focussing on these customers, a second round of advance letters were sent, along with an additional insert with six commonly spoken languages (Arabic, Punjabi, Urdu, Spanish, Turkish, and Bengali) found in the sample, which explained the research and the content of the letter.

1.6.2 Recruitment 

Recruitment primarily took place between 5 September 2025 and 23 October 2025.

Recruitment was conducted by Paton Williamson Consultancy on behalf of Ipsos. Individuals from the sample (excluding those who had opted out of the research) were called and asked if they would like to take part in a 45 interview. If in agreement, they were screened and scheduled for a discussion with an Ipsos interviewer.

A supplementary period of recruitment targeted at those customers who did not speak English well enough to participate in the previous fieldwork was run between December 2025 and February 2026. These individuals (excluding those who had opted out of the research) were called initially in English to identify what language they spoke. The recruiter then phoned again to screen them, if in agreement, with an interpreter present for the participants’ chosen language. If they were eligible for the research, they were then asked if they would like to take part in an interview, alongside an interpreter. 

All participants were offered a £30 online shopping voucher as a thank you for taking part.

1.7 Research materials and fieldwork

1.7.1 Research materials

Research materials were developed by Ipsos and signed off by DWP ahead of the fieldwork period. These materials included:

• Advance letter (Appendix 2.1) to invite customers to participate in the research and provide the opportunity for customers to opt out of further contact
• Advance letter email (Appendix 2.1.2) and insert containing information about the research in key languages (Appendix 2.1.3) for non-English speakers iterating the same details as the initial Advance letter
• recruitment screener (Appendix 2.2) used to screen participants and to monitor and achieve quotas
• interview discussion guide (Appendix 2.3)
• follow-up support leaflet (Appendix 2.4)

The discussion guide (Appendix 2.3) covered topics including legacy benefit customers’ backgrounds and pre-existing support needs, their experiences of making their initial UC claim, their expectations and experience of managing their ongoing UC claim, their specific support needs in relation to management of their claim, and the identification and exploration of specific barriers they experienced. Participants were also asked if they had any specific feedback for DWP on how DWP could better support them to manage their claim going forward.

The follow-up support leaflets (Appendix 2.4) were distributed to participants after their interviews and included details about the research they had participated in, a link to the privacy policy, and contact details for further support in case the topics explored in the interviews prompted participants to need further support. The selected support organisations covered help with benefits, personal finances, relationships and health issues or disabilities.

1.7.2 Fieldwork

Between the 11 September 2025 and 23 October 2025 a total of 90 telephone interviews were completed (46 online and 44 telephone interviews). DWP staff observed two of these interviews, with the permission of the participants. During fieldwork a small number of potential participants were discovered not to speak English at a level that would allow them to participate, an additional period of recruitment was therefore conducted between December 2025 and February 2026 targeting these UC customers. One additional interview was conducted online during this additional period.

1.8 Analysis and deliverables

Interviews were recorded (audio only) for note-taking purposes. Following the interviews, key points and supporting anonymised verbatim quotations from the raw interview data were then summarised into an analysis grid which grouped the data by interview question and key areas of enquiry. Moderators also added verbatim quotes from interviews which illustrated key points and summarised participants’ particular viewpoints.

Three analysis sessions were conducted with all interview moderators as well as members of the DWP team to hear the emerging findings and add context. The purpose of the analysis sessions was to reach a consensus on the salient points across all interviews, explore differences in experiences by different participant characteristics, and identify illustrative case studies. The notes from these sessions, combined with data from the analysis grid was used to inform the next stage of thematic analysis which included refining themes, testing findings, and supporting analysis with verbatim quotes.

The output from the final analysis stage was summarised in a PowerPoint presentation. This PowerPoint was shared with DWP, and revised to incorporate feedback, before being submitted and presented to the DWP research team and wider colleagues on 5 December 2025.

A written report was first delivered to DWP colleagues on 15 January 2026. After multiple rounds of feedback including a review by wider DWP colleagues, the written report was submitted as final on 25 March 2026.

1.9 Interpretation of findings

Qualitative research approaches are used to shed light on why people hold particular views, or have particular experiences, rather than how many people have those views or experiences. These approaches are used to explore the nuances and diversity of experiences and the factors which shape or underlie them. The results are intended to be illustrative and explanatory, rather than statistically reliable. Customers were sampled from a range of characteristics, situations and experiences and the findings are not intended to be statistically representative of the wider customer population.

It is not possible in qualitative research to provide a precise indication of the prevalence of a certain outcome or experience, due to the relatively small number of participants generally involved and because the sample is not intended to be statistically representative of the wider population. The findings reported in the presentation and written report represent common themes that emerged across multiple interviews.

Sometimes, ideas can be mentioned a number of times in a discussion, and yet hide the true drivers of experience; or a minority view can, in analysis, turn out to express an important emergent view or trend. The value of qualitative work is to identify the issues which bear future investigation. In reporting the qualitative findings, the focus is on exploring the breadth of experiences, and identifying the main themes, rather than the number of people who have expressed that thought. Any proportions used in qualitative reporting, such as “some” or “many”, should always be considered indicative, rather than exact.

Where examples are used, such as an insight or quote from one customer, this is typically to illustrate findings that emerged more broadly across multiple interviews but, in some cases, are unique to the one individual to which they are anonymously attributed.

2. Appendix

2.1.1 Advance letter

[ADDRESS_LINE_1]
[ADDRESS_LINE_2]
[ADDRESS_LINE_3]
[ADDRESS_LINE_4]
[ADDRESS_LINE_5]
[POSTCODE]

August 2025

Share your experience of Universal Credit and receive a £30 voucher

Your reference: [UNIQUEID]

Dear [claimant name],

We are writing to invite you to take part in an important research project that Ipsos is conducting for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). You have been selected because DWP records show that you have moved from [legacy benefits] to Universal Credit. Your insights will be used to help the DWP improve these services in the future.

Specifically, we want to understand:

Your experience of making a new Universal Credit claim. Your experience of managing your current Universal Credit claim. How this experience compares with managing your previous [legacy benefits] claim.

What will taking part involve?

If you want to take part, a researcher will interview you either online or over telephone, depending on your preference, and it will take around 45 minutes. The interview will take place between the 11 September and 23 October on a day and time that is convenient for you. We will give you a £30 shopping voucher as a thank you for taking part.

Is my information secure?

The interviews will be confidential and used for research purposes only. Nothing you say in the interviews will affect your relationship with DWP. You can read DWP’s privacy policy, and Ipsos’s privacy policy.

Do I have to take part?

Taking part is completely voluntary and you do not have to take part. It is up to you. No-one including DWP or your local authority will know who has taken part in the research. Any identifiable information that you provide will not be passed on to anyone, including DWP or your local authority. Whether or not you choose to take part, it will not affect any benefits you claim now or in the future, or your interaction with DWP, Jobcentre Plus or HMRC.

What do I need to do?

If you would like to take part online or over the phone, you don’t need to do anything else right now. A member of team at our recruitment partner Paton Williams Consultancy (PWL) will be in touch by phone over the next few weeks (calling from telephone number 07389 731212). You will be able to arrange a convenient day and time for a discussion with an Ipsos researcher.

Our records show your phone number as [RESPONDENT PHONE NUMBER]. If this is not the best number to contact you, please let us know the most suitable number to call by emailing us at UK-PA-DWP-claimingbenefits@ipsos.com or calling 08001510607 (free) with your name and User ID number, which can be found at the top of this letter.

If you do not want to be contacted about this research, feel you require reasonable adjustments in order to be able to participate, or have any other questions about the project please let Ipsos know by emailing UK-PA-DWP-claimingbenefits@ipsos.com, or by calling 08001510607 to leave a message, and we will not contact you again.

If you would like to check that the research is genuine you can find it listed at www.gov.uk/guidance/current-dwp-research-in-the-field-undertaken-by-external-organisations. Alternatively, you can contact Amy Skates at DWP on UC.research@dwp.gov.uk.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Yours sincerely,

Amy Skates, Social Researcher, Department for Work and Pensions

Charlotte Duffy, Project Manager, Ipsos

2.1.2 Advance email – Non-English Language

Your reference: [unique id]

Dear [claimant name],

We are writing to invite you to take part in an important research project that Ipsos is conducting for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). You have been selected because DWP records show that you have moved from [legacy benefits] to Universal Credit. Your insights will be used to help the DWP improve these services in the future.

Specifically, we want to understand:

Your experience of making a new Universal Credit claim. Your experience of managing your current Universal Credit claim. How this experience compares with managing your previous [legacy benefits] claim.

What will taking part involve?

If you want to take part, a researcher will interview you either online or over telephone, depending on your preference, and it will take around 45 minutes. The interview will take place between the 11 September and 23 October on a day and time that is convenient for you. We will give you a £30 shopping voucher as a thank you for taking part.

Is my information secure?

The interviews will be confidential and used for research purposes only. Nothing you say in the interviews will affect your relationship with DWP. You can read DWP’s privacy policy, and Ipsos’s privacy policy..

Do I have to take part?

Taking part is completely voluntary and you do not have to take part. It is up to you. No-one including DWP or your local authority will know who has taken part in the research. Any identifiable information that you provide will not be passed on to anyone, including DWP or your local authority. Whether or not you choose to take part, it will not affect any benefits you claim now or in the future, or your interaction with DWP, Jobcentre Plus or HMRC.

What do I need to do?

If you would like to take part online or over the phone, you don’t need to do anything else right now. A member of team at our recruitment partner Paton Williams Consultancy (PWL) will be in touch by phone over the next few weeks (calling from telephone number 07389 731212). You will be able to arrange a convenient day and time for a discussion with an Ipsos researcher.

Our records show your phone number as [claimant phone]. If this is not the best number to contact you, please let us know the most suitable number to call by emailing us at UK-PA-DWP-claimingbenefits@ipsos.com or calling 08001510607 (free) with your name and User ID number, which can be found at the top of this letter.

If you do not want to be contacted about this research, feel you require reasonable adjustments in order to be able to participate, or have any other questions about the project please let Ipsos know by emailing UK-PA-DWP-claimingbenefits@ipsos.com, or by calling 08001510607 to leave a message, and we will not contact you again. If you would like to check that the research is genuine you can find it [listed here]here.

Alternatively, you can contact Amy Skates at DWP on UC.research@dwp.gov.uk.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Yours sincerely,

Amy Skates, Social Researcher, Department for Work and Pensions

Charlotte Duffy, Project Manager , Ipsos

2.1.3 Insert for non-English speakers

نحن شركة أبحاث مكلفة من قبل DWP لإجراء دراسة حول Universal Credit، ونريد أن نعرف عن تجاربك معها، وخاصةً إذا ساعدك أحد الأصدقاء أو أحد أفراد العائلة في تقديم مطالبتك. سنقدم قسيمة بقيمة 30 جنيهًا إسترلينيًا تعبيرًا عن شكرنا لك على المشاركة.

إذا كنت مهتمًا، فيرجى الاتصال بنا وإخبارنا باسمك ولغتك المفضلة للتحدث معنا، وإذا كان متحدث باللغة الإنجليزية يساعدك في مطالبتك.

سنرتّب مع شخص يتحدث لغتك المفضلة للاتصال بك وشرح البحث، ويمكنك أن تقرر ما إذا كنت ترغب في المشاركة أم لا. يمكنك أيضًا الترتيب لانضمام صديق أو أحد أفراد العائلة إليك في المكالمة، إذا كنت ترغب في ذلك. المشاركة هي اختيارك ولن تؤثر على مزاياك أو علاقتك مع DWP أو أي هيئة حكومية أخرى.

আমরা ইউনিভার্সাল ক্রেডিট সম্পর্কে স্টাডি করার জন্য DWP দ্বারা নিযুক্ত একটি গবেষণা সংস্থা এবং আমরা এটি সম্পর্কে আপনার অভিজ্ঞতা কেমন তা জানতে চাই, বিশেষত কোনও পরিবার বা পরিবারের সদস্য আপনাকে আপনার দাবি নিয়ে সাহায্য করে। আমরা অংশ নেওয়ার জন্য ধন্যবাদ হিসাবে একটি £30 ভাউচার অফার করতে চলেছি।

আপনি আগ্রহী হলে অনুগ্রহ করে আমাদের সাথে যোগাযোগ করুন অথবা আপনার নাম ও আপনি যে ভাষায় আমাদের সাথে কথা বলতে চান না কি কোনও ইংরাজি ভাষী আপনার দাবী নিয়ে আপনাকে সাহায্য করবেন কি না তা জানান।

আমরা আপনার পছন্দের ভাষাতে কথা বলেন এমন কেউ যাতে আপনাকে কল করে গবেষণাটি ব্যাখ্যা করেন ও আপনি অংশ নেবেন কি না সে সিদ্ধান্ত নিতে পারেন তার ব্যবস্থা করব। আপনি চাইলে কলটিতে আপনার কোনও বন্ধু বা পরিবারের সদস্যকে যোগ দেওয়ার ব্যবস্থাও করতে পারি। অংশ নেওয়ার সিদ্ধান্ত আপনার ও এটি DWP-এর অথবা অন্য কোনও সরকারী সংস্থার সাথে আপনার সুবিধা অথবা সম্পর্ককে প্রভাবিত করবে না।

Somos una empresa de investigación encargada por el Departamento de Trabajo y Pensiones del Reino Unido (DWP, por sus siglas en inglés) para llevar a cabo un estudio sobre Universal Credit. Nos gustaría conocer sus experiencias con este programa, especialmente si un amigo o familiar le ayuda con su solicitud. Ofrecemos un cupón por valor de 30 £ a modo de agradecimiento por participar.
Si le interesa la propuesta, póngase en contacto con nosotros e indique su nombre y el idioma en el que prefiere comunicarse, y confirme si un hablante de inglés le ayuda con su solicitud.

Le pondremos en contacto con una persona que hable su lengua para que le llame y le explique en qué consiste el estudio, y podrá decidir si desea participar. Si lo prefiere, también puede pedir que un amigo o familiar se una a la llamada con usted. Participar o no en esta investigación es su decisión y no afectará de ningún modo a sus prestaciones ni a su relación con el DWP o cualquier otro organismo gubernamental.

Universal Credit hakkında çalışma yapmak üzere DWP tarafından görevlendirilen bir araştırma şirketiyiz ve Universal Credit ile ilgili deneyimlerinizi (özellikle bir arkadaşınız veya aile üyeniz iddianızda size yardımcı olabiliyorsa) duymak istiyoruz. Katılmanız halinde teşekkür olarak 30 İngiliz Sterlini değerinde bir kupon sunuyoruz.

İlgileniyorsanız lütfen bizimle iletişime geçip adınızı ve konuşmak istediğiniz dili iletin ve İngilizce konuşan bir kişinin iddianızla ilgili size yardımcı olup olmayacağını belirtin.

Tercih ettiğiniz dili konuşan bir kişi sizi arayıp araştırmayı açıklayacaktır, ardından katılmak isteyip istemediğinize karar verebilirsiniz. İsterseniz bir arkadaşınız veya aile üyeniz aramada size eşlik edebilir. Katılmak sizin seçiminizdir ve DWP veya başka bir devlet kurumuyla aranızdaki yardımları veya ilişkiyi etkilemeyecektir.

Freephone: 08001510607

Email: UK-PA-DWP-claimingbenefits@ipsos.com

2.2.1 Recruitment screener

DWP Managing a UC Claim - Recruitment Screener

Recruiter instructions

• Interviews will be carried out via Zoom (as an online interview or as a telephone call) and participants will be offered a £30 voucher.
• Sample will provide the primary quota (benefit claimed) and region.
• When sharing participant profiles, please include which legacy benefits they were claiming using the sample information. This is for information only.

Screener:

ALL

Good morning / afternoon /. My name is [NAME] and I’m calling on behalf of Ipsos, an independent research organisation.

We are currently conducting research on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and we were hoping [NAME FROM SAMPLE] could spare some time to assist us. Would it be possible to speak with [NAME FROM SAMPLE]?

RECRUITER: IF [NAME FROM SAMPLE] is not available.

Thank you for your time, is there another date or time we can call back to speak with [NAME FROM SAMPLE]?

RECRUITER: IF [NAME FROM SAMPLE] is available.

Thank you for sparing some time for us. The DWP provided us with your contact information so we could invite you to participate in this research. You should have recently received an email  or letter about this from Ipsos and DWP.

We are looking for people to take part in an interview lasting 45-minutes (either online or as a phone call via Zoom, whichever you’d prefer) with one of our researchers at a time that is convenient for you. We are interested in speaking with you to understand more about your experiences of managing a Universal Credit claim. Your insights will offer the DWP valuable feedback on how to improve their services for people in the future. Everyone who participates in a 45-minute interview for this study will be given a £30 retail voucher as a thank you for their time.

To ensure we hear from a range of different people with different characteristics, we want to first ask a few questions about you and your circumstances to find out if you are eligible to take part.

Any information that you provide Ipsos during this conversation or during the interview will be treated as strictly confidential. All research findings reported back to the DWP will be anonymised, meaning it will be impossible to identify any individuals from the results. We can also provide you with a copy of Ipsos’ privacy policy, which details how your data is managed. Should you decide to take part, you have the right to withdraw at any time by sending an email to UK-PA-DWP-claiminggbenefits@ipsos.com.

You have the right to withdraw your consent to process the information you provide or object to our processing of your information. The research activity and this survey are conducted in accordance with the Market Research Society Code of Conduct, and the information you provide will be treated in accordance with data protection law.

• Participation in this research is entirely voluntary and will not affect any benefits or your relationship with DWP and the services you receive either now or in the future. Would you be interested in taking part in this research?

RECRUITER: IF NO, THANK AND CLOSE [SCREENOUT].

• I just need to ask you a few questions before we confirm the interview and further details about it. Are you happy to proceed?

RECRUITER: IF NO, THANK AND CLOSE [SCREENOUT].

Screener questions

SECTOR SCREENING

ASK ALL. SINGLE CODE

QA: Do you work in DWP or Jobcentre Plus?

Yes	1	CLOSE AND THANK
No	2	CONTINUE

UNIVERSAL CREDIT QUESTIONS

ASK ALL:

Q1A: Are you currently claiming Universal Credit? 

Yes	1	CONTINUE
No	2	THANK YOU AND CLOSE [SCREENOUT]
Don’t know	3	THANK YOU AND CLOSE [SCREENOUT]

ASK CODE 1 @Q1A:

Q1B: Is this a single or joint claim with a partner?

SINGLE CODE ONLY

Single claim	1	CONTINUE – MIX AND MONITOR
Joint claim	2	CONTINUE – MIX AND MONITOR
Don’t know	3	THANK YOU AND CLOSE [SCREENOUT]

• ASK CODE 1 @Q1 AND CODES 1 and 2 @Q1B

Q2. Immediately before transitioning to Universal Credit, did you claim any of the following benefits? Please select all that apply.

RECRUITER: CHECK AGAINST SAMPLE DATA

MULTI CODE

Employment Support Allowance	1	RECRUIT TO QUOTAS
Housing Benefit	2	RECRUIT TO QUOTAS
Working Tax Credit	4	RECRUIT TO QUOTAS
Child Tax Credit	5	RECRUIT TO QUOTAS
Employment and Support Allowance with Housing Benefit.	7	RECRUITER: DO NOT READ OUT but code if respondent mentions both RECRUIT TO QUOTAS
Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit	8	RECRUITER: DO NOT READ OUT but code if respondent mentions both RECRUIT TO QUOTAS
Working/Child Tax Credit and Housing Benefit	9	RECRUITER: DO NOT READ OUT but code if respondent mentions both RECRUIT TO QUOTAS
Any other benefit type	10	RECRUITER PROBE IF ONLY THIS IS CHOSEN SCREENOUT IF CHOSEN ALONGSIDE OPTION 1-9 then note in respondent profile
Don’t know	-98	PROMPT TO SAMPLE INFORMATION IF STILL DON’T KNOW THANK AND CLOSE [SCREENOUT]
None	-99	PROMPT TO SAMPLE INFORMATION IF STILL NO THANK YOU AND CLOSE [SCREENOUT]

Q3A. How do you manage your claim for Universal Credit?

SINGLE CODE ONLY

Online	1	COMPARE AGAINST SAMPLE INFORMATION, PROBE IF DIFFERENT RECORD FOR INFORMATION AND INCLUDE IN PARTICPANT PROFILES MONITOR FOR A MIX
Via telephone	2	COMPARE AGAINST SAMPLE INFORMATION, PROBE IF DIFFERENT RECORD FOR INFORMATION AND INCLUDE IN PARTICPANT PROFILES MONITOR FOR A MIX

Q3B. Since your first made your claim, have you ever needed any help or support to manage your ongoing UC claim?  

RECRUITER CLARIFY IF NEEDED: This does not have to be official support from the DWP and can include other sources of support such as from other organisations or friends and family.

SINGLE CODE ONLY

Yes	1	Continue
No	2	Continue
Don’t Know	-98	RECRUITER PROBE: Can respondent clarify if there are any things that may constitute support that they are unsure of.

ASK ALL:

Q3C. Thinking back to when you first made your Universal Credit application, did you need any help or support to complete this process?

RECRUITER CLARIFY IF NEEDED: This does not have to be official support from the DWP and can include other sources of support such as from other organisations or friends and family.

SINGLE CODE ONLY

Yes	1	RECORD FOR INFORMATION
No	2	RECORDE FOR INFORMATION
Don’t Know	-98	RECRUITER PROBE: Ask respondent to clarify if there are any things that may constitute support that they are unsure of.

ASK IF CODE 1 EITHER @Q3B or Q3C:

Q3D. Who helped/helps you manage your Universal Credit claim?

MULTI CODE

Informal support (friends/family)	1	MONITOR FOR A MIX
Formal External support (e.g. charities, local authority)	2	MONITOR FOR A MIX
DWP (e.g. Work Coaches, Jobcentre, Case Manager	3	MONITOR FOR A MIX
Another form of support	4	RECRUITER PROBE AND RECORD ANSWER IN RESPONDENT PROFILE
Don’t Know	-98	Continue

ASK ALL WHO ARE LISTED AS YES FOR CLAIMED AFTER 12 WEEKS IN SAMPLE FILE:

Q4. Our records show that you claimed Universal Credit after the 12 week extended deadline. Is this correct?

Yes	1	IF NO: DO NOT INCLUDE AS PART OF 12 WEEKS QUOTA
No	2	IF NO: DO NOT INCLUDE AS PART OF 12 WEEKS QUOTA
Unsure	3	IF NO: DO NOT INCLUDE AS PART OF 12 WEEKS QUOTA

DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS

ASK ALL:

Q5. Which of the following describes how you think of yourself?

SINGLE CODE

Male	1	RECRUIT TO QUOTAS
Female	2	RECRUIT TO QUOTAS
In another way (please specify)	3	RECRUIT TO QUOTAS
Prefer not to say	-97	RECRUITER DO NOT READ OUT

ASK ALL:

Q6. How old were you on your last birthday?

WRITE IN AND CODE EXACT AGE

Exact age

Under 35	1	MONITOR FOR A MIX
35 – 44	3	MONITOR FOR A MIX
45 – 54	4	MONITOR FOR A MIX
55+	5	MONITOR FOR A MIX

ASK ALL:

Q7. Are there any children belonging to the following age groups living in your household?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

Under 5 Years old	1	MONITOR FOR A MIX
5-18 years old	2	MONITOR FOR A MIX
18+	3	MONITOR FOR A MIX
There are no children in my household	4	MONITOR FOR A MIX
No	2	-

Q8. What is your current work status?

If you have been permanently made redundant, please choose your current work status.

RECRUIT TO QUOTAS
CODE 1 = EMPLOYED CODE 2 = SELF_EMPLOYED CODES 3-5,7,8 – NOT WORKING

RECORD ALL CODES FOR INFORMATION INCLUDING CODES NOT INCLUDED IN QUOTAS (CODES 6,9,10)

In paid work	1
Self-employed	2
On a government training / employment programme / doing unpaid voluntary work	3
Not working, but waiting to take up employment already accepted	4
Unemployed and looking for work	5
In full or part-time education	6
Long-term sick/disabled	7
Looking after the home/unpaid family carer	8
Fully retired (including retired early)	9
Other (please specify)	10

ASK ALL:

Q9. In what region do you live?

SINGLE CODE

London	1	RECRUIT TO QUOTA
Wales	2	RECRUIT TO QUOTA
Scotland	3	RECRUIT TO QUOTA
England (outside London)	4	RECRUIT TO QUOTA

RECRUITER READ OUT: The following questions are considered sensitive information. Please let me know if you’d prefer not to answer the questions.

ASK ALL:

Q10. Do you have any physical or mental health conditions, disabilities or illnesses lasting or expected to last for 12 months or more?

SINGLE CODE

Yes	1	MONITOR FOR A MIX
No	2	MONITOR FOR A MIX
Prefer not to say	-97	RECRUITER DO NOT READ OUT

ASK ALL:

Q11. Do you look after, or give any help or support to, anyone because they have long-term physical or mental health conditions or illnesses, or difficulties related to old age? Exclude anything you do as part of your paid employment

SINGLE CODE

Yes	1	MONITOR FOR A MIX
No	2	MONITOR FOR A MIX
Don’t know / Prefer not to say	-97	RECRUITER DO NOT READ OUT

ASK ALL:

Q12. Ipsos and the DWP are committed to ensuring that our research is inclusive and accessible for all, including those with specific accessibility needs and requirements. We know that many people may need us to make some changes to how we carry out our discussion with them so that they are able to participate in the way that works best for them.

Do you feel you require any of the following adjustments to participate in this research? Y/N RECRUITER: CHECK FOR POSSIBLE ASSITANCE REQUIRED AND RECORD. DO NOT READ OUT

MULTICODE

Carrying out the conversation in a different way or providing the information in a different format (e.g. Easy Read)	1	RECORD FOR INFORMATION AND INCLUDE IN PARTICPANT PROFILES
Giving you more help to prepare in advance	2	IF CODE 5 RECORD WHAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PARTICIPANT REQUIRES
Someone to accompany you in taking part in the discussion (e.g. a family member, carer, or friend)	3	IF CODE 5 RECORD WHAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PARTICIPANT REQUIRES
None of the above	4	IF CODE 5 RECORD WHAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PARTICIPANT REQUIRES
Something else	5	-

RECRUITER EXPLAIN RESEARCH IN FURTHER DETAIL:

The research would involve taking part in a single interview taking around 45 minutes. This could be carried out as a telephone call or online depending on what you prefer. If you feel you require a face-to-face interview we can also arrange for this.

Topics which will be discussed will focus on how you manage your UC claim, and how this compares to your experience of managing your legacy claim. We will also discuss your experience of moving over to Universal Credit from your previous legacy benefit. Any information you disclose will remain confidential, and you will not be asked to disclose any amounts of money or answer any questions which you are not comfortable with. You can also withdraw from the interview at any time.

We would like to offer a £30 voucher as a “thank you” for your time.

Does this sound like it would be of interest to you?

ASK ALL:

Q13. Are you happy to take part in an interview?

Yes	1	Continue
No	2	CLOSE

ASK IF CODE 1 @ Q14:

Q14. Are you happy to take part in a telephone or online interview?

Yes	1	Continue
No	2	RECRUITER TO CHECK IF A FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEW IS A REASONABLE ADJUSTMENT

ASK IF YES TO CODE 2 @Q15:

Q15. Where would you prefer your in-person interview to take place: are you comfortable with an interviewer coming to your home, or if you would prefer, we can arrange an alternative location which is convenient for you.

In-home interview	1	Continue
Alternative location	2	Continue
Does not want to do face to face	3	CLOSE

ASK ALL:

Q16. It may be necessary for Ipsos UK to contact you by email or telephone after the research has taken place to follow up on ideas generated during the discussion. You would only be contacted if strictly necessary and only in connection with this research. Are you happy to agree to be re-contacted on this basis?

Yes	1	CONTINUE
No	2	REFER TO OFFICE

ASK ALL:

Q17. The interviews will be conducted by experienced researchers from Ipsos. For some interviews a member of the DWP team may want to observe so they can hear people’s experiences first hand and to help inform ongoing work by DWP. They will only listen to the interview and will not directly take part.

Would you be willing to take part in an interview with an observer from the DWP team? We will not share any of your personal information with them before or after the interview.

Please note, you do not have to agree to an observer being present in your interview to take part in this research.

SINGLE CODE

Yes	1
No	2

CONTINUE

IF YES: PLEASE LET THE RESEARCH TEAM KNOW AND WE WILL PASS ON DATES AND TIMES TO DWP TO ARRANGE INTERVIEW OBSERVATIONS

ASK ALL:

Q18. As a thank you for taking part, would you like to receive an e-voucher via email or a paper voucher through the post?

e-voucher	1	RECORD FOR INFORMATION
Paper voucher	2	RECORD FOR INFORMATION

Q19. DWP may be interested in inviting you to take part in further engagement at a later date. We will not share your contact details with them unless you would like us to, and you give consent for them to contact you.

• You would have the option to decline once they do contact you.
• If they do contact you, it will be before December 2026 and they will not hold your contact details longer than that.
• If you agree, we will share your contact details with DWP which they will link with your information they already have on record. We will not share your specific interview responses with them. Is this something you would like to be invited to?

IF YES: Do you consent to us providing them with your contact details?

IF NO: That is completely fine. Just to confirm we will NOT share your details with them as you have not given consent for us to do so.

Yes	1
No	2

CONTINUE

IF YES: NOTE IN PROFILE SO INFORMATION CAN BE SHARED WITH DWP

PERSONAL IDENTIFIERS

Recruitment details	Participant
Date of recruitment:
Time of recruitment:
Consent to take part acquired:
Full name:
Phone number:
Email address (to receive voucher and online link to interview):
Home address (if face to face interview or receiving voucher by post):

Additional notes (including alternative location, if any):

2.3.1 Discussion Guide

Move to UC: Managing a UC Claim Discussion Guide – Customer Depths

Aims and objectives:

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has commissioned Ipsos to conduct qualitative research with customers who have moved from legacy benefits to Universal Credit (UC).
The sample will include UC customers who formerly claimed the following benefits: tax credits (Child and/or Working Tax Credits), Housing Benefit, and Employment and Support Allowance. The primary goal is to understand the experiences of these customers in managing their UC claim on a day-to-day basis and to identify the role that support needs play in shaping this experience. The findings will provide post-implementation evidence to inform the ongoing policy for the ‘Move to UC’ programme. 

This discussion guide is to be used in 45-minute telephone or 60-minute face to face interviews.

This research needs to explore and understand:

• Customers’ backgrounds and pre-existing support needs that may impact on their experience of migrating to UC and then managing their claim. This includes mapping their household composition, caring responsibilities, employment status, and their long-term experience with their legacy benefits.

• Customers’ experiences of making their initial UC claim and it being processed (through to their first assessment and UC award), identifying what worked well, what challenges were faced (e.g., identity verification, providing evidence, having to visit a JCP), and what support was required during the process.

• Customers’ expectations and experience of managing their ongoing UC claims process on a day-today basis and comparing this with their prior experience of managing legacy benefits. Particular attention to be paid to changes such as the shift to a monthly payment cycle, adaption to new conditionality regimes, the transition to a primarily digital service, and reporting requirements.

• Customers’ specific support needs in relation to management of their claim, and whether they feel these support needs have been met or could be more effectively met.

• Customers’ experiences with independent management of their claims. The extent to which the UC design supports Move customer autonomy and self-efficacy in managing their claim.

• Identification and exploration of specific barriers customers experience in effectively managing their UC claim and how these might be addressed by improvements to the management process and support offer.

Interviewer information:

• Fieldwork will run between 11 September 2025 – 23 October 2025
• A total of 92 claimants will be interviewed. The interviews will be conducted as a telephone call or online via Zoom unless claimants have specific adjustments that would require an in-person interview.
• Please familiarise yourself the participant profile before the interview. This will be important to understand participants’ backgrounds and how this may have influenced their experience of managing UC.
• Participants will be given a £30 shopping voucher for taking part. This can be issued in the form of a digital or paper voucher depending on their preference.
• All interviews will be audio recorded and transcribed (with participant permission).
• Questions highlighted in yellow are to be prioritised if pressed for time.

Section	Timing
1. Introduction	2-3 mins
2. Background and context	5-10 mins
3. Universal Credit – setting up the claim	10 mins
4. Managing the ongoing Universal Credit claim (beyond initial application)	15 mins
5. Experiences of UC compared to experiences of legacy benefit	10 mins
6. Summing up	2-3 mins

1. Introduction (2-3 minutes): Orientates interviewee, prepares them to take part in the interview.

• Thank participants for taking part. Introduce self and explain nature of interview: informal conversation; all opinions valid. Interviews should take around 45 minutes (telephone)/60 minutes (face to face).
• Role of Ipsos – Independent research organisation (i.e. independent of government), we adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct.
• Introduce research and topic – The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has commissioned Ipsos to conduct research among customers who have moved to Universal Credit. The purpose of the research is to learn about your experience of moving over to Universal Credit and your experiences of now managing your claim to help improve the service offered to customers. We will be asking you some general questions about how you manage your household finances, but we will not ask you for any actual figures about your income or outgoings, or for details of your spending.
• Voluntary nature of discussion: reiterate that their participation is voluntary (they can withdraw at any time during the interview). You can decide how much you would like to share with me throughout this interview as well as not to answer any questions if you prefer. Just let me know at any time if you would prefer not to answer a question and we will move on. We understand some of the topics we will be discussing are sensitive and can be personal.
• Confidentiality – reassure all responses are anonymous and that identifiable information about them will not be passed on to anyone, including back to DWP or any other government department. Inform participants that the only situation in which Ipsos might have to pass on something they tell us or that happens during an interview, or their personal details, would be if something made the interviewer seriously concerned that they, or someone else, was at serious risk of harm. Reassure them that participation will have no impact on their Universal Credit claim or any dealings with DWP now or in the future.
• Accessing support after the interview: following these interviews, we want to encourage people to access advice or support if they feel it would benefit them. We are providing everyone we speak to with an information leaflet. This includes details of organisations which can provide services relevant to the topics we will speak about today. It is not because of anything that has been or will be said, or done, that has prompted Ipsos to give you this. This is standard across the project.
• Consent – check that they are happy to take part in the interview.
• Ask for permission to digitally audio record – START RECORDING - GDPR requires a legal basis to process your data. Our legal basis is your consent which you are free to withdraw at any point during or after the research (up until the end of October 2025 - after this time the data would have been analysed and cannot be removed). Are you happy to continue?
• Any questions before we begin?

2. Background and context (5-10 minutes): Cover this section briefly but it contains key contextual information to understand the customer’s background and circumstances so take note for later in the discussion

To start off with, I’d like to ask a few questions about yourself.

Warm up. Cover briefly:

Moderator note: please take note of the participant’s responses to enable you to probe in the next sections how these factors influenced their experiences of claiming and managing their claim.

Can you tell me a bit about yourself? Probe:

• Family and home life – who else lives with you? Do you have any caring responsibilities? - Housing - Do you rent or own your home? How long have you lived in your current home/area? - IF has caring responsibilities – How do these impact your day-to-day life?

• Work – What is your current work status? - IF working - self-employed or employed? Part-time or Full-time?

• Health – Do you have any long-term health conditions, illnesses or disabilities? How do these affect you day to day? What support, if any, do you receive to help manage these?

• Any changes in your life recently? (For example, moving house, having a baby, changing jobs, receiving a promotion etc.) Do you expect there to be any changes in the near future?

• How would describe your general approach to managing your household finances?

• What challenges, if any, do you face? To what extent do you seek advice or support when managing your finances?

• IF YES: Where do you look for advice, or from who? What makes you choose these sources? (e.g., family, friends, via telephone, websites, online calculators, GOV.UK website. Third party: Citizens Advice, other charities)

  • How confident do you feel about doing finance related tasks online generally (such as paying bills and online banking)?
• Legacy benefits
  • How long were you claiming [legacy benefit] before moving over to UC?
  • How would you describe your general experiences of claiming [legacy benefit]?
  • Did you receive any other benefits alongside [legacy benefit]?
    • IF YES: Do you still receive this benefit alongside your UC?
• Moving over to UC
  • How did you make your initial claim (over the phone, online, or a mix)?
    • Was this a single or joint claim/claim as a couple?
  • PROBE AS RELEVENT BASED ON SINGLE/JOINT CLAIM: Confirm how ongoing claim is managed (as per profile information collected during screening process) – does this differ to the way in which the initial claim was made? If so, explore reasons for this
  • How long have you been claiming UC now? Record length of time.
  • (IF RELEVANT– aside from [other benefit mentioned above] that you continue to receive) are there any new benefits that you have started receiving since moving over to UC?

3. Universal Credit - setting up the claim (10 minutes): This section briefly explores customer experiences of setting up their ongoing Universal Credit claim, including any issues encountered and support needs/sought during the application process

Now I’d like to ask you a bit more about your experiences of moving from [legacy benefit] to Universal Credit.

Moderator note: please use the information collected from section 2 to probe as relevant on the impact these factors had on their experiences of setting up a claim.

Being invited to move to Universal Credit:

• Do you recall when you were first invited to make an application to move over to Universal Credit?
• How did you feel about this? Probe on: expecting to move to UC / surprised / concerned?
• What were your expectations of UC? How did you think it would work?
• How much would you say you knew about Universal Credit at that time?
  • What questions or concerns, if any, did you have?

Moderator note: if previously mentioned, probe as needed to explore impact of long-term health condition, disability or illness on experiences of the process / impact on support needs.

• How did you find the claim process overall?
• How easy or difficult did you find it to understand the application process and making your claim (online/telephone)? Did you have help completing the application? Who helped you? How did they help?
• Did you make your claim for UC before or after the deadline? (If unsure: did you delay your claim for more than 12 weeks?)
  • IF AFTER THE DEADLINE: Why was this?
    • Did you receive any help from DWP via calls/home visits/deadline extension?

Moderator note: this type of help is part of the Enhanced Support Journey but the participant will not be familiar with this term. Please do not use this term.

• How did you find setting up the claim after the initial application?
• How did you feel about agreeing to your claimant commitment? (This is a record of what you agree to do to get UC payments)
  • Did you have a meeting to discuss your claimant commitment? How did you find this?
• Did you experience any issues setting up your claim? What were these?
  • Spontaneous but probe to explore any specific issues mentioned (e.g. around ID verification, providing evidence, using digital system, 5 week wait)
  • Did you get help with these issues? Who helped you? How did they help?
  • What impact, if any, did these issues have on setting up your claim?
    • Spontaneous, then probe to explore if they mentioned delaying their claim.

4. Managing the ongoing Universal Credit claim (after UC has been awarded)(15 minutes): This section explores customer experiences of managing their ongoing Universal Credit claim, beyond the process of initial application, including support needs/sought to help with management of their claim

PRIORITY SECTION

Next, I’d like to talk about your experiences of managing your ongoing Universal Credit claim, beyond the process of your initial application and setting up the claim.

Moderator note - throughout section explore fully to understand the impact of differences of relevant individual customer factors such as legacy benefit type, work status (including if self-employed and reporting income and expenses), conditionality, caring responsibilities, health status etc.

General experiences of ongoing management and support needs

• How would you describe your general experience of managing your UC claim so far?
  • [Moderator note – refer to issues mentioned in section 3 as needed/relevant] Were the issues you experienced when first setting up your claim fully resolved, or did they continue to cause any issues when it came to managing your ongoing claim?

  • IF CONTINUED: Can you tell me a little bit about this? E.g., How did this impact you and your household? How long did this last? Is it resolved now and how did this happen?

  • Moderator to probe on key areas of their experience with managing a claim – how did they find these?:
    • Frequency of payments (how have monthly payments impacted/changed the way they manage their finances?). Have they got a more frequent payment arrangement (Alternative Payment Arrangement)
    • Understanding of how UC payments are calculated on their UC statement e.g., if self-employed, how payments might be impacted by the minimum income floor.
    • For former HB customers – how are they managing payments to their landlord? Direct to the landlord or not (i.e. Alternative Payment Arrangement)
    • Reviewing their claimant commitment and their understanding of conditionality – including their work search responsibilities and how they feel about these (if relevant), attending the JCP.
• Were your expectations of UC met? In what ways was this the case, or not?
• Do you receive any support in relation to helping you to manage your ongoing claim? For what purposes? From who? How do they help?
  • IF YES: To what extent do you feel you rely on this support to manage your claim? Is this the same level of support you felt you needed to make your initial claim? Can you tell me a little bit about how the support differed, if at all?
• How confident do you/would you feel about managing your UC claim independently/without support?
  • Why is this the case?
  • (IF RECEIVING SUPPORT TO MANAGE CLAIM) is there any type of support you receive you feel is more essential than the other? Why is this?
  • (IF RECEIVING SUPPORT TO MANAGE CLAIM) What support would help you feel more confident to manage your UC claim independently online or via telephone?
    • e.g., access to the internet or IT devices, instructions on how to manage your UC account..

(If not already mentioned)

•       How did you feel about being invited to apply for / manage your UC claim online?

Moderator: participants would have been invited to apply online initially but can request a telephone claim instead. We want to understand how they feel about using a digital system.

• IF TELEPHONE CLAIM: why did you move to a telephone claim? Was this your choice?
• How do you find managing your account and interacting with DWP:
  • (IF ONLINE CLAIM) Online?
    • PROBE: experience of using the journal AND how it is used to contact them.
      • How often do you check your account?
      • Do you use the journal or telephone to contact your work coach or case manager?
      • Do you check your to-do list for tasks you need to complete? How do you find this?
        • Do you understand that not completing to-do’s can delay or stop payments?
    • IF THEY HAVE A PARTNER: How do you find managing both journals as a couple? What’s this experience like?
    • PROBE AS RELEVANT FOR SINLGE/JOINT CLAIM:
  • (IF TELEPHONE CLAIM) By telephone?
    • PROBE: experience of contacting DWP AND how it is used to contact them.
      • How often do you check your account?
      • IF THEY HAVE A PARTNER: How do you find managing your account by telephone as a couple? What’s this experience like?
• Have you ever been contacted by DWP about your claim in another way? How have they contacted you? (e.g. text messaging, face to face in the JCP, home visits) - What was the reason for the contact? How did you find this?
• Have you ever needed to contact DWP about your claim in another way? How was this and for what reason? - How have you contacted DWP about your claim (e.g. face to face in the JCP, home visits)
  • (IF TELEPHONE/ONLINE CLAIM – PROBE AS APPROPRIATE) How easy do you find it to verify or report information to DWP? E.g., a change in circumstances, expenses (if self-employed), housing costs.
• (General interaction with DWP) How do you feel about interacting with DWP generally i.e. feelings when DWP contacts them directly via the journal/phone

If not already mentioned - Jobcentre Plus appointments

• Have you ever needed to attend a Jobcentre appointment as part of managing your claim?
  • IF YES: can you tell me a little about this experience? Did you attend the appointment at the JCP? How did you find going into the JCP? [Moderator note: probe in terms of their work conditionality.]
    • How often do you need to attend an appointment and how do you find this frequency?
  • How did you find attending appointments for Jobcentre Plus? E.g, getting there, finding time to attend.

Moderator note: Participants receive a notification from DWP that an appointment has been booked and informed via a “to-do” on the journal.

• PROBE experiences in terms of caring responsibilities, health conditions and other background factors from section 1.

5. Experiences of UC compared to experiences of legacy benefit (10 minutes): This section explores customer experiences of managing UC compared to their previous legacy benefit

I’d now like to talk to you about how your experiences of managing Universal Credit compare to those of your previous [legacy benefit] claim.

Moderator note - throughout section explore fully to understand the impact of differences of relevant individual customer factors such as legacy benefit type, work status, conditionality, caring responsibilities, health status etc.

• How does your experience on UC compare to your experience of [legacy benefit]?
• In what ways would you say Universal Credit differs to your previous [legacy benefit] claim? Spontaneous but probe to fully explore any mentions around changes to:
  • frequency of payments
  • For HB only – how payments are made (e.g. direct to landlord or not)
  • agreement to claimant commitment
  • conditionality
  • attending the JCP
  • interaction with a digital system
  • reporting a change in circumstances
  • reporting of expenses (self-employed)
  • Any other changes mentioned

Are these are seen to be positive/beneficial changes or less so?

• (For each mention) How does this change affect you? How do you manage this? Are there any challenges you face? Is there any support you receive/need in relation to this? (probe to explore by DWP or other external support services)
• If participant discusses employment support (attending the JCP and support from a Work Coach, support for childcare costs ) offered by DWP - explore what they have found helpful/unhelpful about this

For couples – how has the move to UC affected how you manage your claim?

• Are there any other factors that affect how you manage your Universal Credit claim or the support that you need that we haven’t discussed?

6. Summing up (2-3 minutes): Brings the conversation to a close, and allows participants time to mention anything that has not already been covered

We are coming to the end of the interview, but I have a few final questions before we finish.

• If there was one thing that DWP could do to best support you going forward, what would it be?
• What would be the most important thing for us to feed back to DWP about your experience of Universal Credit?
• POSSIBLE RECONTACT QUESTION [TBC]
• Finally, is there anything else you would like to mention that we haven’t had the opportunity to discuss?

Thank and reiterate confidentiality. Incentives = a £30 e-voucher or paper voucher as a ‘thank you’ from Ipsos for their time and contribution.

2.4.1 Follow-up support leaflet

Further information for participants: Managing a Universal Credit claim research

Thank you for taking part in an interview about your experiences of claiming to Universal Credit and making a claim.

As a reminder, no-one, including DWP or Jobcentre Plus, will know you have taken part in this research and it will not affect any benefits you claim now or in the future, or your interaction with DWP or Jobcentre Plus. The interviews will be confidential and used for research purposes only. You can read DWP’s privacy policy and Ipsos’s privacy policy .

Sometimes, talking about things can raise questions, or make people feel upset or worried. Below is a list of some organisations that can provide help, advice or someone to talk to. We know not everyone will need support. We are giving this leaflet to everyone we spoke to in case they need it.

If you have any questions about your Universal Credit claim, you can contact Universal Credit through your online account or by calling the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644.

If you have questions about the research you have taken part in, or your online voucher, please email UK-PA-DWP-claimingbenefits@ipsos.com or you can call Louis Falkingham at Ipsos on 0800 328 5644.

Help with money and benefits

Citizens Advice give free, confidential information and advice about money, legal and other problems.http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/	0800 144 8848  Monday – Friday 9am to 5pm
MoneyHelper is an organisation that provides free money guidance and debt advice.http://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en	0800 138 7777 Monday – Friday 8am to 6pm
Turn2us is a national charity that helps people get access to welfare benefits and other support. http://www.turn2us.org.uk	0808 802 2000 Monday – Friday 9am to 5pm
StepChange is an organisation offering free debt advice and money management.http://www.stepchange.org	0800 138 1111  Monday - Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday 9am to 2pm

Help with relationships

Relate is a charity that offers relationship support. They provide advice on marriage, LGBT issues, divorce and parenting.https://www.relate.org.uk/	01302 347866 Monday-Friday 9am-5:30pm
Marriage Care is a charity that offers relationship advice, marriage preparation and counselling.https://www.marriagecare.org.uk/	0800 389 3801 Monday-Thursday 9am-6pm

Help for people with disabilities

Disability Law Service is a charity that provides free legal advice on care, employment, housing and benefits to disabled people and their carers.http://www.dls.org.uk	020 7791 9800 Monday – Friday 9:30am-5pm
Scope is a disability charity giving information and support. https://www.scope.org.uk/	0808 800 3333 Monday – Friday 9am to 6pm Saturday – Sunday 10am to 6pm

Help with mental wellbeing or difficult feelings

Mind is a mental health charity that provides confidential support for mental wellbeing, and information about mental health services.https://www.mind.org.uk/	0300 123 3393 Monday - Friday 9am to 6pm
Samaritans offer confidential, free emotional support. https://www.samaritans.org/	116 123, 24 hours a day

2.5 Ipsos standards and accreditations

Ipsos’ standards and accreditations provide our clients with the peace of mind that they can always depend on us to deliver reliable, sustainable findings. Our focus on quality and continuous improvement means we have embedded a “right first time” approach throughout our organisation.

ISO 20252

This is the international market research specific standard that supersedes BS 7911/MRQSA and incorporates IQCS (Interviewer Quality Control Scheme). It covers the five stages of a Market Research project. Ipsos was the first company in the world to gain this accreditation.

Market Research Society (MRS) Company Partnership

By being an MRS Company Partner, Ipsos endorses and supports the core MRS brand values of professionalism, research excellence and business effectiveness, and commits to comply with the MRS Code of Conduct throughout the organisation. We were the first company to sign up to the requirements and self-regulation of the MRS Code. More than 350 companies have followed our lead.

ISO 9001

This is the international general company standard with a focus on continual improvement through quality management systems. In 1994, we became one of the early adopters of the ISO 9001 business standard.

ISO 27001

This is the international standard for information security, designed to ensure the selection of adequate and proportionate security controls. Ipsos was the first research company in the UK to be awarded this in August 2008.

The UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the UK Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018

Ipsos is required to comply with the UK GDPR and the UK DPA. It covers the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy.

HMG Cyber Essentials

This is a government-backed scheme and a key deliverable of the UK’s National Cyber Security Programme. Ipsos was assessment-validated for Cyber Essentials certification in 2016. Cyber Essentials defines a set of controls which, when properly implemented, provide organisations with basic protection from the most prevalent forms of threat coming from the internet.

Fair Data

Ipsos is signed up as a “Fair Data” company, agreeing to adhere to 10 core principles. The principles support and complement other standards such as ISO, and the requirements of Data Protection legislation.

1. Completing the move to Universal Credit ↩

2. Figures show where data was available in sample file. ↩ ↩²