Research and analysis

Understanding the Behavioural Response to the Universal Credit support offer

Updated 24 April 2025

Qualitative Research – Final Report 

(September 2024)

DWP ad hoc research report no RR 99  

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

Crown copyright 2024. 

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First published on 7 October 2024. 

ISBN 978-1-78659-733-5 

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

Acknowledgements 

The research team wish to thank all the participants who gave their time to take part in this study.

Authors 

This report was written by researchers at Ipsos UK Public Affairs:  

Joanna Crossfield, Research Director and Head of Employment, Welfare and Skills Research 

Catherine Crick, Associate Director 

Iona Gallacher, Research Executive

Key findings 

Claimants do not generally seek out information about UC unprompted and this means that they do not realise what UC might be able to offer beyond support with their income. The main barriers to looking for information about UC include a lack of time to look for information themselves and limited time for discussion with their Work Coach at appointments.  

When accessing information about UC support, claimants want this provided to them proactively. However, some feel worried about discussing the support offer with their Work Coach, in case this has the potential to commit them to a change before they are ready.  

When looking at information about the support offer, claimants sometimes struggle to understand its significance to them. The volume of information can make it hard to take in, and the abstract or impersonal language can make the concepts hard to absorb or recall.  The conditional clauses and number of factors involved in some elements can also make it hard to calculate the impact making a change might have on their finances.  This meant that claimants wanted information to be tailored to their own circumstances and specific in terms of impact, including exact figures.  

Learning about the UC support offer generally made claimants see UC more positively. Those out of work were positive about the work allowance and taper making the move into work less risky. Some participants reported having shared what they learned with friends and family, and this can work well for raising awareness of support. Claimants felt that UC needs to be positioned as more than just a payment and that the taper rate could be framed in more positive terms as a gain, or bonus on earned income. 

However, the support offer was not a deciding factor for participants when it came to decisions about moving into work or progressing in work. They either faced some important barriers to changing their circumstances, whether practical or attitudinal; or were motivated to make a change regardless of the effect on their UC. For some there is a point where working more was felt to not be worthwhile because the financial gain would be minimal.  

While support with childcare costs was seen as generous and would help to make working, or working more, financially worthwhile, the upfront costs were seen as too difficult to manage. Changes to the childcare reimbursement model could encourage more claimants to take up the offer of support.

Background and methodology  

Research Objectives 

The Universal Credit Full Service Omnibus 20181 found that understanding of the UC support offer is low. This research aimed to explore the following themes relating to this low understanding:  

• why is understanding of the UC support offer so low?  

• what are the barriers to engaging with information?  

• is this a barrier to claimants being fully motivated to work / progress?  

• how can better understanding of the UC support offer encourage claimants to engage with UC? 

Methodology 

This research comprised a longitudinal, ethnographic style project with multiple touchpoints with 34 UC claimants, including 3 in-depth interviews and 2 diary tasks. The information below outlines the 5 stages of research.

Research stage

Interview 1: Participant context

45 minute interview

Focus

This interview focused on: 

• understanding the claimant context, specifically what they understood about Universal Credit 

• where they gained this information from 

• impact this had on their attitudes towards Universal Credit and work 

• preferred communications channels 

At the end of this interview participants were tasked to find out about the UC support offer through their preferred channels.

Research stage

Diary task 1: Find out about UC support offer

Focus

Participants used the Ipsos MORI ‘Applife’ mobile phone app or a paper diary to record: 

• where they found out the information about the UC support offer 

• what it told them 

• how it made them feel

Research stage

Interview 2: Explore the UC support offer 

60 minute interview

Focus

This interview was in 2 parts: 

Part 1 – review of the diary entries, discussion of what they had learnt about the support offer and the impact this had on their attitudes towards UC and engaging with work. 

Part 2 - participants were shown descriptions of the UC support offer and went through them in detail to understand how these could be developed to improve understanding, with the central aim of communicating that ‘work pays’ under UC.

Research stage

Diary task 2: Reflecting on the UC support offer

Focus

Participants were asked to continue using the app or paper diary to record their thoughts and feelings about UC now that they understand the support offer in detail. 

They were also asked to record any actions that they had taken after receiving the information in interview 2.

Research stage

Interview 3: Reflections and thoughts on UC 

30-minute interview

Focus

The third interview explored participant reflections and thoughts on UC and work having found out information on UC independently, then been prompted and supported to understand more.  

The purpose of this was to see what effect understanding the support offer has over time and what participants could recall of the information.

In depth interviews were conducted between January and March 2022. 

Diary tasks were completed on the Ipsos ‘Applife’ mobile phone app. Information could be recorded in the app as text, voice notes or photos. The app allowed moderators to have a two-way conversation with participants as they recorded their responses, following up and prompting to ensure the information was as detailed as necessary. Participants who did not have a smartphone or preferred not to use the app were given a paper diary instead.

Sampling 

Sample  

Sample was provided by DWP. Quotas were used on relevant criteria related to claimants’ UC claims as well as personal characteristics to ensure the research included a broad range of claimant types.  

Claim related information included: 

• length of UC claim 

• working status 

• working hours 

• type of claim (joint or single) 

• number and age of children in household  

• whether the claimant had a disability or long-term health condition 

In addition, a mix of male and female claimants, and claimants of different ages were included to ensure a wide range of UC claimants were included.  

A table of the full achieved sample for the research is included in the Appendix.

Findings 

Participant typology  

Four broad types were identified in the data, based on the claimants’ work, personal and household circumstances which affected their reasons for claiming UC and the barriers they experienced in getting into or progressing in work. The 4 types of claimants identified across the research were: 

• ongoing barriers  

• temporary barriers 

• UC is a stop gap 

• happy as I am 

Overall, participants were evenly spread across these 4 groups and there were no clear patterns in terms of length of time on UC, with most participants in each group starting with claim before the pandemic.  

The characteristics and support needs of each group are discussed in the sections below.   

Ongoing barriers group  

This group of participants were not working and described barriers which were unlikely to be resolved. This participant group included claimants living with a health condition which limited or prevented their ability to work, claimants who had caring responsibilities for a family member, and those who had a criminal record which would make finding work difficult. Within this group, there were some participants who described the barriers they experienced as insurmountable, which meant that they were not open to exploring additional support available.  

However, others were open to exploring the possibility of working, with the right type of support and reassurance. These participants were generally those who experienced barriers to work due to a health condition and were interested in finding out what type of work might be available to them.  

These participants wanted gentle, non-pressurised support to explore what type of work they can do. They also needed reassurance that exploring these options would not lead them to be pushed into work they felt was unsuitable and that they will still be classed as having limited capacity for work even if they take up the support offer.

Temporary barriers group  

This participant group included claimants who were in work and claimants who were out of work. They described themselves as experiencing temporary barriers to getting into or progressing in work, for example having young children in the household which limited their availability to work in the short term.  Generally, these participants felt that they would not be able to work, or work more, until their child was eligible for 30 free hours at age 3, or when they started school.  

This group viewed the provision of government childcare support as signalling when they should go back to work. As eligibility for 30 free hours begins at age 3, they viewed this as the earliest point at which they were expected to return to work. Claimants in this group felt that the 15 hours free for 2-year-olds offer was not a signal for them to return to work as it would not give them enough time to work standard part-time hours.   

This group may benefit from information about how UC can help them consider going back to work sooner, including information about the UC Childcare support offer.  

UC is a stop-gap group  

This group included participants who were claiming UC temporarily whilst they were in training, or were working towards their next job which would take them out of the UC system.  For example, this group included a claimant who was training to be a nurse, and a claimant who was undertaking in-work training in accountancy which would lead to higher pay once complete.  

This group of participants generally did not need much additional support as they were already working towards a career goal. Some could benefit from: 

• check-ins to ensure they were on track to achieve their goal 

• CV and interview skills to help them move into their next job, when ready

• support to continue their wider skills development  

Happy as I am group  

This group of participants were mostly working part-time and were settled into their routine and not looking to change things. For example, this included claimants who had older children in school and had found a job that fitted around school hours.  

This group may be the hardest to engage as they were happy with their circumstances which made them closed to the idea of support. It was likely that they would need to experience a significant change to their motivations to open them to the idea of progression in work.

Understanding of UC 

Understanding at the point of claiming  

Participants’ understanding of UC at the point of claiming was limited. Most participants knew very little or nothing about Universal Credit before starting their claim, and many had a neutral attitude towards it as a result, viewing it as support for people on a low income.  

There were a range of assumptions and impressions held by participants at the point of claiming which meant they came to the system with incorrect or negative impressions.  These were mostly based on media coverage during the roll out, personal experiences of Jobcentre Plus, or friends and family experiences of UC.   

The first of these was that because UC is run by Jobcentre Plus, it was only for people out of work. For claimants in work, this led some to assuming it was not for them or feeling there was a stigma associated with claiming.  Participants’ personal experiences of Jobcentre Plus, or the experiences of friends and family also created some negative expectations about UC, including how they would be treated as a claimant.  

The focus of news stories about UC during roll out also created some negative impressions about the system and the impact of claiming. Some participants had heard stories of claims being delayed or payments being made late which had caused financial hardship for the claimants.  

Knowledge of how the UC system worked was typically limited to being aware that UC was paid monthly or that it was administered online. Participants who were aware of these points generally held negative views about them, saying they were concerned about the impact these would have on their ability to manage the claim and budget their finances.  

Understanding after claiming    

At the outset of the research, participants’ understanding of UC was limited to how it related to their own claim. There was little to no understanding of other aspects of the system, and they were not seeking information or support beyond what was offered to them. 

Working claimants generally had a good understanding of the taper rate and, where relevant, of work allowance. Some participants with younger children were aware of the UC childcare offer, but there were some participants who had no awareness of this, who may have benefitted from it. This group generally also had little to no awareness of support to help them progress in work, including with skills development, CV writing, interview skills, or finding new job opportunities.  

The gaps in knowledge for the working claimant participant group meant that these participants did not know that they could get support to help them progress in work or reskill to move into new types of roles.  Patchy awareness of the UC childcare offer meant that some working parents may have ruled out working more as they were not aware of the financial support available to them to cover childcare costs.  

Participants who were out of work had good awareness of the support available to help them get a job, including CV and interview skills support and help with finding suitable jobs. This group tended to lack awareness about how the system would work once they were in work, including information about the taper rate and work allowance. They also lacked knowledge about support to help them get in, or stay in work, including Access to Work and UC Childcare support. They were also unaware of what help they might get to progress into more or better paid work through skills development and training.  

Lack of awareness about the support for the transition into work and progression in work meant that this group often did not know how much better off they might be by working.  

Participants who were not expected to work had very little awareness of any work-related support available. This included having no knowledge of the taper rate, work allowance, UC Childcare, Access to Work or skills development and training.  This lack of awareness meant that these participants did not know how much better off they could be in work, their options for retraining or reskilling or the support available to help cover childcare costs.  

Understanding during the research interview 

Participants’ understanding of the purpose of UC was dependant on the nature of their claim. Overall, participants agreed that UC was intended to support people on low or no income. For those in work, the support was viewed as a top-up for their wages to help them get by, while those who were out of work viewed UC as providing them the bare minimum amount needed to survive.  

Those who had moved onto UC from a legacy benefit viewed UC as a consolidation of a range of previous benefits rather than having its own specific purpose. These participants typically have low awareness of UC support and often came to the system with a range of misperceptions based on the legacy benefit or benefits they had moved over from.  

Primarily, UC was associated with the money claimants received to help with living costs rather than with work or progression support. Awareness of these types of support were particularly low among participants who were in a joint claim but were not the main claimant as they felt slightly removed from the system. Help with getting into work was spontaneously mentioned by some participants who were out of work and looking for work, but this was less top of mind that financial support received.  There was no mention of the support available to progress in work by any type of claimant.  

Awareness of specific aspects of the UC system or types of support available were also mixed and depended on whether they were directly relevant to the participant’s claim at the time.  

When discussing the taper rate, those who were in work generally had a good understanding. They were aware of how the taper rate worked through experience.  Some participants had knowledge of the 55p rate and how to calculate this, but the additional earnings were not seen as worth working more for. Participants who were not in work did not know how the taper worked. They were aware that their UC payments would stop or be reduced if they moved into work but did not understand how much by. 

Awareness of UC Childcare support was limited. Claimants with children who also had some understanding of UC in general were aware that the system was based on a reimbursement model. However, there was a lack of awareness of childcare support among claimants with younger children who could claim the support if they moved into work or increased their hours.  

There was very little understanding of the support for claimants with a disability or health condition. These participants said they did not know how UC would interact with PIP, or what impact of working would be. This created a barrier to engaging with UC support, as claimants were worried about losing their other benefits. 

Barriers to understanding UC 

The main 2 reasons for claimants’ having gaps in the understanding of the UC and the support available were that they had challenges to accessing information, or they had challenges in understanding and retaining information.  

Participants were only aware of the system as it directly related to their claim as typically, this was the only information they were provided.  They said their Work Coach generally only gave them information as and when it was relevant to them, rather than telling them about support or changes that might be relevant in future.   

Generally, participants said that they relied on their Work Coach for information about their claim and support available, and did not look for information independently. The main reasons for this were that: 

• they preferred verbal information over written information  

• they found the volume of information on GOV.UK overwhelming which meant it was hard to engage with

• they found the information on GOV.UK vague and difficult to apply to their circumstances so preferred for their Work Coach to do this for them 

GOV.UK was generally seen as the main source of written information on Universal Credit and there was low awareness of alternative websites, including Understanding Universal Credit.

Attitudes towards UC support  

Attitudes towards UC support depended on the claimants’ work status and capabilities.  Those who were most open to receiving UC support tended to be those who were out of work but felt capable of working. These participants said that that support including CV writing, interview preparation and help finding a job felt relevant to them.  

Participants who were in work were generally less open to support as they felt they did not really need it, either because they were happy in their current role, or were already working towards a new career goal independently.  

Those furthest from accessing UC support were participants who were not working and did not feel able to work. These claimants felt that their personal circumstances meant that work was distant to them and that support was not relevant to them.  

Views on the support offer 

Sources of information  

Participants used different sources to look for information on Universal Credit when asked to as part of the research process. The main 2 sources were asking their Work Coach or searching for information online.  

Participants who preferred receiving information from their Work Coach felt the information would be tailored to their circumstances and more concise, saving them time compared to searching online. They also thought that hearing information in-person helped them to better understand it than by reading it.  

However, the drawback of relying on a Work Coach is that information will be provided inconsistently, with the level of information and quality of explanation being dependent on the individual.  Participants also said that while it can be easier to understand information given during a conversation, it can be harder to recall it, meaning they forgot some of what the Work Coach had explained.  

For participants who looked online for information about UC support, GOV.UK was generally the first port of call as it was viewed as the official website and Work Coaches generally signposted claimants to it when asked for information. This default meant that claimants may be missing out on the Understanding Universal Credit website and that they may benefit from greater signposting to it.  

Facebook was also seen as a useful source of information on UC by some participants who felt that they were drawing on the experiences of other claimants, like them.  Those who did not trust Facebook felt the authenticity of the information could not be verified and instead preferred to stick to official sources of information.  

Support to find work or progress in work 

Participants generally already had a reasonable amount of awareness of the support available from Jobcentre Plus before they looked for further information. They knew that Jobcentre Plus helped people to find job opportunities and get in touch with employers. There was also some awareness that Jobcentre Plus can pay for people to go on courses and provide help with CV writing, interview skills.  

However, participants who had not received work search or wider work support while on UC tended to view UC and Jobcentre Plus as 2 separate entities and did not necessarily link the support provided by Jobcentre Plus with UC support. This view was held by participants who were not working or looking for work due to ill health and by some participants who were in work.  

Participants who were already working or who had a particular career they were working towards, or progressing in, were not interested in this type of support from Jobcentre Plus, feeling it was not relevant to them. There was also some scepticism among other participants about the quality of work and progression support provided by Jobcentre Plus who described previous negative experiences of being directed to jobs they viewed as inappropriate.  

When searching for information, some participants found out about the Work Coach support for the first time, including CV writing and contacting employers, and this was seen as helpful for people looking to get back into work. Overall, there was a perception that there is a lot of support for unemployed people but low awareness of support to help people progress in work or change jobs. 

It doesn’t go on the basis of ‘you might actually like your current job so why not see what you can do to improve your hours’.

(Claimant) 

The opportunity to access training to develop new skills was particularly attractive to some participants who had been unaware of this option. However, some who were interested in this had not been able to find enough detail to be able to take it up, including what it would cost them, what costs would be covered, or what they needed to do to find out more or apply.  

Doing this question and talking to my Work Coach made me realise that there is a lot more help out there for looking for work and with the training – you just have to ask them.

(Claimant) 

People with Limited Capability for Work were concerned that if they expressed interest in looking for work or accepted a job that their UC work status would be changed and that this could be a disadvantage if the job did not work out. These participants wanted more moral support or encouragement about the prospect of going back to work, for example, via a helpline with someone to talk to informally.  

During their search, some participants also found out about other initiatives they had not heard of before, including:  

• Job Help service  

• sector-based work academies 

• Kickstart  

• being put in touch with charities to help find work or retrain 

• flexible support fund  

• job finding support

Continued claim 

Most participants were already aware that their UC payments would reduce, but not stop if they started working. Some people who were not working did assume that their UC payments would stop altogether if they started work, but this was uncommon.  

When looking for information about continued claims, participants found out that their payments would continue if they started work and be adjusted once their income changed. 

If I found a job that was different each week with hours then Universal Credit would see my payments and top me up one week if needs be.

(Claimant) 

However, after looking for information, some participants were still unsure of what would happen if they took a seasonal role and the impact this would have, including whether they could easily go back to claiming UC when the job ended.  

I knew that I wouldn’t be signed off of universal credit as soon as I found work, but I wasn’t sure of the extent, I think it’s great that I’ll have a safety net to fall back on if any future work doesn’t pan out.

(Claimant) 

Participants were provided with the following information about the continued claim: 

Your claim continues when you start work, so you can take temporary or seasonal jobs without worrying about making a brand-new claim or any gaps between paydays as you move in and out of work. 

This information was generally well understood. It was also seen as an improvement on the old system which they felt created barriers to claimants taking up short term work opportunities.  

If one month you have a really good month and you get zero payment from UC, they won’t just close your claim, they’ll keep it open. Because the month after you might not get such a good wage, and you might need UC.

(Claimant) 

I used to be with agencies in the past and you’re in and out of work with them and you’ve got to go and sign off your benefit, work a week, and then go and start again. It was bad because I worked a week and then had to wait 2 weeks to get back onto the system. This sounds better.

(Claimant) 

However, the focus on temporary or seasonal jobs led some participants to assume that the continued claim was only about these types of jobs, and not about taking up work in general. This meant that some participants felt this was not relevant to them as they were not interested in looking for temporary or seasonal work due to the disruption of changing routine or putting childcare in place for only a short period of work. Some suggested that this information could be improved by mentioning temporary or seasonal work as an example of where the continued claim would apply, rather than making it the focus of the explanation.  

Rather than saying about seasonal working in the middle, it could give seasonal work as an example at the end.

(Claimant) 

There was also some mistrust among participants that this system would work in practice, with some distrusting DWP to respond to their changes in work status and income as quickly and smoothly as suggested.  

When thinking about how to improve information about the continued claim, participants wanted to be reassured that if they try something new, they will not have to start their claim for UC again. They need to know that it will be waiting for them and the claim will respond to any changes to their working hours. This support was seen as particularly useful for claimants who were further from the labour market and who are nervous about going back to work and if it would work out for them.  

It just means that you don’t have the hassle of ending and setting up a claim every time. I’d just say that when you start work your claim will still continue. There are thresholds and limits of how much you can earn, but it will not stop, which is helpful.

(Claimant) 

Due to the confusion around the mention of temporary and seasonal work, this element of UC support may benefit from being positioned as a supportive feature for claimants, rather than enabling temporary work.  The case for considering seasonal and temporary work could also be made more strongly as many participants, particularly those with young children assumed that these kinds of roles would be infeasible to take on or that the transition would not be worthwhile.  

Taper and work allowance 

Participants who were already in work were generally already familiar with the taper and work allowance elements of the UC system because they had seen it on their own, or their partner’s statement.  

I saw how they did it - when I saw how they work out my payment on my journal.

(Claimant) 

Some participants had also done calculations of how it might affect them in future and so knew the specifics but were still uncertain of some aspects of how it worked, including the impact on the housing element. Some lacked confidence in their calculations and so were unsure of the financial impact of moving into work or changing working hours which created uncertainty for them. 

I had worked what I thought I was going to get – but then got more – so now for this month I feel completely unsure about what I am going to get. It just makes me not want to spend my money as I cannot be sure what I will get from UC payments.

(Claimant) 

There were also participants who had a general idea of these elements but could not recall the specifics as it was not relevant to their situation at the time.  

I can’t remember what the cut-off point is, but after so many earnings, for every £1 you earn, something to do with 63p whether it gets taken off or put on I’m not sure.

(Claimant) 

Many participants viewed the taper as something being taken away from them, or a form of tax on their earnings. While they acknowledged that they were better off in work, some felt that the benefit was marginal once additional costs including travel and childcare were factored in. This meant that the taper felt like a penalty to some claimants.  

If you’re having money taken off your Universal Credit because you’re working it feels a bit like a punishment.

(Claimant) 

There were also misconceptions around the taper and work allowance elements. Some participants thought their UC payments would reduce by 100% of their earnings, meaning that that they would not be better off in work unless they could earn more than their UC award amount.  

So, I think UC payments counteract against any money you earn – so if I work 5 hours a week and get £100, I report that in the journal, and they subtract that off the next payment… so given in one hand and losing in the other.

(Claimant) 

Some participants also still referred to a 16-hour rule which is likely to be a legacy from Jobseeker’s Allowance eligibility criteria under which payments stopped entirely for people working 16 hours or more, which does not apply to UC. 

When looking for information on the taper and work allowance elements independently, participants found out: 

• the taper rate – that they would keep 45p in every £1 they earn 

• that calculations are done automatically (rather than having to report changes in circumstances) 

• calculations are based on income rather than hours - although some are still very fixed on the “16 hours” idea and one person reported their Work Coach told them there is a 16-hour limit on receiving UC 

Participants raised questions about this information, including wanting to know how much money they could earn before they would start to lose Council Tax and Housing support and at what point they would lose UC support entirely. Overall, there was a lack of confidence among participants that they would be better off in work, or that any additional money they would have would not be enough to make a difference.

Participants were provided with the following information about the taper: 

Your Universal Credit payments will adjust automatically if your earnings change. It doesn’t matter how many hours you work, it’s the actual earnings you receive that count. If your circumstances mean that you don’t have a Work Allowance, your Universal Credit payment will be reduced by 55p for every £1 you earn. 

In other words, you will receive an additional 45p for every £1 you earn (up to a limit that depends on your circumstances), and your total income from earnings and Universal Credit will be more than you would have received from Universal Credit alone. 

This information was generally understood. Those who had been unaware of the taper before seeing this information described surprise at being able to keep some of their earnings in addition to their UC award.  

It says you’re allowed to earn so much, but they’ll give you so much as well, so it sounds like they’ll pay you to go back to work. You’ll be getting more if you are working than if you wasn’t. You’ll be getting a bonus really.

(Claimant) 

However, it seemed that participants who were not in work were more positive about the taper as a motivating factor as moving into work would mean they are better off. Whereas those who were already in work did not see it as strong motivation for increasing their hours or moving into better paid work. 

When discussing the information provided about the taper in more detail, some participants said they were aware that the taper rate had become more generous recently. They were positive about this, feeling that UC was supporting people during a difficult time.   

In terms of improvements to the information, participants wanted to know how other benefits might be affected such as Council Tax support, and when passported benefits will be affected.  

Some participants also thought giving both 55p and 45p figures was potentially confusing and there were mixed views on describing the amounts in pounds versus pence. For some, pence were felt to be easier to calculate but others felt that pounds sounded more generous and felt more relatable in terms of how they think about money. Others said that it would not make a difference to their perception of the taper.

Participants were provided with the following information about the work allowance:

If you and/or your partner are in paid work, you may be able to receive some earnings before your Universal Credit payment starts to be affected. This is called a Work Allowance. 

The Work Allowance only applies to you if: 

• you have responsibility for one or more children (or qualifying young persons), or 

• you or your partner have limited capability for work (a health condition or disability) 

If neither of these circumstances apply to you, your Universal Credit payments will be affected as soon as you start earning money from paid work. There are 2 Work Allowance rates. Which one you get depends on whether you receive help with housing costs, either as part of your Universal Credit payment or through Housing Benefit from your Local Authority: 

• If you receive money to help with housing costs your Work Allowance will be £335 per month 

• If you do not receive money to help with housing costs your Work Allowance will be £557 per month

Participants felt that there were a lot of aspects of this explanation which made it difficult to understand. The information about 2 different amounts depending on housing costs felt particularly confusing and hard to absorb. This part led some to thinking that work allowance was a separate benefit, rather than part of their UC. Understanding of this information was not affected by whether they saw this information before or after information about the taper  

For those who did understand the principle of the work allowance, it was viewed positively, as support with getting back into work, for example after having a child. This was especially motivating for those who may face additional costs such as childcare or travel when returning to work as it made it feel more worthwhile.  

I think it’s a good thing. If you didn’t have the work allowance and they just deducted you for every £1 you earn, obviously it’s gonna make people less likely to want to go to work because you just take it pound for pound, so they’d rather just get the [UC] money… without having to work. But if you get that allowance where the money’s yours and it’s not going to be touched it encourages you to work.

(Claimant) 

However, there was discussion about whether there may be a tipping point where working started to become less rewarding for them. Some participants also felt that the conditions and uncertainty in the information meant they were unsure if they would get the work allowance, and this meant they wanted a personalised explanation of how it would affect them.  

The term ‘work allowance’ was also disliked by many who felt it had negative connotations, such as a loan they needed to pay back or like pocket money being given by UC, which was seen as insulting.  

Overall, the taper and work allowance elements of UC were felt to be most motivating for claimants who were out of work as they could see clear financial benefits to earning. For those already in work, the financial better of working additional hours was not seen as a strong motivator, especially for those with travel or childcare costs to pay for.  

There was also a worry about when they may start to lose more support, including passported benefits and other support including help with housing costs and Council Tax. The point at which they would lose eligibility for UC completely was also unclear.

Childcare support 

There was generally low awareness of childcare support among participants and no participants had experience of claiming this support element.  Among those with little or no awareness of childcare support, there was some confusion with the UC payments for children.  

Among those with awareness, some just knew there was support available but were unsure of the details and others had a good understanding of the details, including that claimants could get up to 85% of costs back, paid in arrears.  Those who were aware that payments are made in arrears were concerned about this and viewed it as a barrier to accessing the support as they did not know how they would be able to afford to make the childcare payments upfront.  

I know they pay up to 85% of your childcare back, but obviously you’ve got to find that money in the first place to pay it, and then they pay you back after, so it’s not always helpful. Like in our situation, we don’t have that money upfront, and you have to wait a whole month to get it back, so you’d just be in arrears.

(Claimant) 

When looking for information on childcare support independently, some participants found out that there is help available with the costs of childcare and believed that knowing this could encourage parents of young childcare back into work. There was a feeling that awareness of this element is low and that parents should be made aware of it.  

I have friends with kids who don’t work as much as they’d like to because of childcare costs, and they don’t know about this support that UC offer – I will tell them now that this support exists – UC should make this information more widely known.

(Claimant) 

Participants found that that claimants would need to find out how much childcare would cost them before they could find out how much support they would get from UC.  They also found out that as payments are made in arrears, the claimant would need to pay for childcare themselves and then claim back a percentage of this from UC.  This was felt that to be barrier to accessing the support, with many participants feeling that claimants would struggle to pay the first month of costs and that the ongoing payments in arrears would feel too risky or difficult to manage.  

The way it is set up is too stressful for families to make use of it. Paying upfront is unreasonable.

(Claimant)

Participants were provided with the following information about UC childcare support:  

If you are working, Universal Credit can help with the costs of childcare, no matter how many hours you work. You may be able to claim up to 85% of your childcare costs if you’re eligible for Universal Credit and meet some additional conditions. The amounts you can receive in childcare costs are: 

• a maximum of £646.35 per month for one child 

• a maximum of £1108.04 per month for 2 or more children 

Childcare support is paid in arrears. This means that you will usually pay the costs yourself, and Universal Credit will then pay you some of that money back. If you think you need help with the costs at the time you pay them, you should discuss this with your Work Coach.

Participants had a good understanding of this explanation of childcare support, and some were surprised about the level of support available.  

Participants wanted more information on eligibility for childcare support as they felt this was unclear. They also felt that a childcare support calculator would be helpful so that claimants can be confident in understanding how much they can claim as some lacked confidence in their ability to work it out themselves.  

There were some concerns about the level of reliance this would mean they had on UC. Some were worried that working more hours or earning more money could suddenly mean they would not be eligible for UC payments, including childcare support.  They felt this might mean they avoid taking on more hours or the chance to earn more.  

Payments in arrears was participants’ main concern about this element. They were worried about how they would be able to pay for the first month of childcare and felt it would be a big risk to take, feeling unsure about whether UC would actually repay it the following month.  The thought of paying for childcare also brought to mind the other costs that working can bring, including clothes and travel, and this caused further worry for some participants, with some describing these costs as demotivating.  

Overall, participants felt that support with up to 85% of childcare costs was generous and could make a big difference to a claimants’ ability to work. However, the reimbursement model was seen as a barrier as claimants said they cannot afford the upfront payment and that this would put them off accessing this element.  

That’s the only reason that I don’t work more hours because of childcare. I feel like if they changed the way they did the childcare, then I probably would work more hours. It’s not that I don’t want to work, I do, it’s just that I can’t afford the childcare upfront.

(Claimant) 

Support for those further from the labour market: Access to Work  

Participants were provided with the following information about Access to Work:

Access to Work can help you get or stay in work if you have a physical or mental health condition or disability. 

The support you get will depend on your needs. Through Access to Work, you can apply for: 

• a grant to help pay for practical support with your work 

• advice about managing your mental health at work 

• money to pay for communication support at job interviews 

You can get support to manage your mental health at work. You do not need to be diagnosed with a condition to apply for mental health support. Find out what support you can get by contacting Access to Work funded mental health services Able Futures or Remploy. 

You can apply for advice and guidance directly from these providers.

Participants were very positive about this element of support and said it would make these feel safer and more supported when getting back into work. They viewed it as gentle support to get back into work which acknowledges the nervousness which many claimants have about this transition.  

To have some sort of support where they help you through that makes sense. It’s encouraging you, rather than going in, doing it all by yourself, and ending up in a mass panic and quitting your job.

(Claimant) 

Participants were particularly positive about not needing an official mental health diagnosis to use Access to Work and many said they would want to use this support in future. 

When I start new jobs, I struggle because of the whole social aspect of it… it can freak me out sometimes… if I had someone offering advice and helping me in the first couple of months of getting back to a job it’d be a lot more helpful.

(Claimant) 

It makes me feel a lot happier that if I went into work I’d be supported, I’d be a lot safer, that I’m not just thrown out and not worried about again.

(Claimant) 

However, there was some uncertainty about the Access to Work information. Some assumed that this support was only for claimants with a mental health condition, and did not think it covered physical conditions and disabilities. There were questions about how this support would work in practice, including exactly what kind of support would be available, how it would be accessed and how it would be delivered. There were also some concerns about whether using Access to Work would mean that claimants who were not required to seek work may be pushed into a job if they chose to explore this option.  

Support for those further from the labour market: The Restart Scheme 

Participants were provided with the following information about Restart:

The Restart Scheme will give Universal Credit claimants who have been out of work for at least 9 months support to find jobs in their local area. 

The support will be offered by local providers and partners including specialist charities and small and medium-sized enterprises, will complement the work of Jobcentre Plus with extra expertise, investment, innovation and additional capacity for tailored support. 

Through regular contact with participants, providers will develop a strong understanding of each person’s employment history, skills, hopes and support needs to develop the right package of support to help each participant succeed. 

This could be personalised training or support to get the right certificates to take up a job in a different industry such as construction or transport or to update skills such as IT.

Participants were positive about the information provided on Restart, saying that the support could be very helpful to them.  It was so appealing that some questioned why they had not already been offered this support by their Work Coach.  

The ability to retrain in a different sector and to take courses which could be added to their CV stood out as particularly appealing. While participants said that they did not want to be pushed into a new sector, they did like the idea of getting support from UC with exploring these options and in getting the training needed to pursue them.  

Knowing this is available makes me feel more at ease. Changing direction when you have children is difficult. I worked for 20 years in retail and cannot do that right now as retail employers want people to work weekends.

(Claimant) 

There were questions around the kind of courses and training that Restart would cover with participants wanting training for a range of sectors, not just physical, manual or retail roles, which they perceived Jobcentre Plus normally focussed on.  They also wanted to know the depth and type of support and training offered as many had only experienced interviewing skills and CV writing support from Jobcentre Plus in the past.  

Passported benefits 

Participants were provided with the following information about passported benefits:  

As well as a financial benefit, if you claim UC, you may also be eligible for the following: 

• financial help with prescriptions and dental treatment 

• access to BT home Essentials – low-cost broadband and phone plans 

• free early education for 2-year-olds 

• Healthy Start Vouchers if you’re pregnant or have a child under 4 years old 

• free school meals for your children 

• a Cold Weather Payment 

• Help with building up savings through Help to Save which gives you a bonus of 50p for every £1 you save over 4 years 

Participants were generally aware of at least some passported benefits but there was low awareness of the full list of available benefits. Help to Save and broadband support were both new and appealing to most participants although some said they did not have any money they could save through the Help to Save scheme.  

There were questions about the eligibility criteria for these benefits, including the earnings threshold for losing them. Some participants said that the potential loss of these benefits would make them reluctant to work or earn more, feeling that moving off UC could bring a wide range of additional expenses for them.  

Some participants were surprised that they had not heard about some of the benefits before and questioned why their Work Coach had not told them about them, especially if they had been paying for things out of pocket, for example dental treatment. BT Home Essentials Broadband could have a strongly positive impact on affordability for internet for claimants and they felt they would benefit from information on this.

Those who were aware of specific benefits said they had found out from a friend, or from a provider, for example their dentist, and they felt that Jobcentre Plus should do more to inform claimants rather than relying on word of mouth.  

I’ve only found out yesterday that you can get a reduced broadband price with some providers if you are receiving universal credit. I was never told this. I only found out through a friend. It is little things like this, that could really help every month. If this was widely known, it would prove to be positive publicity. It seems strange to withhold positive news, after all the uncertainty of last 2 years.

(Claimant) 

Impact on attitudes and motivations 

Attitudes towards UC were more positive by the end of the project. Finding out about support was a key motivator of engagement with UC and the research increased awareness of the support available. However, while participants were pleased to hear about the UC support offer, finding out about support which they may be eligible for, but had not been informed of, created some negativity towards Jobcentre Plus.  There were also concerns about the extent to which some elements of support might impact claimants, and they needed reassurance of these points, including that they will not be pushed into work, or pushed out of the UC system.  

Different elements of support appealed to different customer groups.  

Ongoing barriers group  

For those experiencing ongoing barriers to work, the most appealing support elements were: 

• Access to Work and support to find work so they could return to the labour market at their own pace and on their own terms  

• Restart and wider retaining and reskilling support so they could explore the options of finding a new type of job which suits their interests and availability for work

• continued claim so that UC support would continue if they moved in and out of work  

• the taper rate and work allowance, which means they will be better off as soon as they start working

Case illustration 1: Claimant experiencing ongoing barriers 

Sarah is a middle-aged woman living with her partner and 2 teenage sons. They have a joint UC claim. Sarah had a job before pandemic but is currently not working because of a mental health condition. She is hoping to go back to work in the future.  

I think it [going back to work] is achievable. I don’t think it would happen next month, but a few months down the line I think it would be more achievable… I’m hoping that my mental health improves.

(Claimant) 

Sarah was very receptive to a tailored support offer once she is ready to go back to work, for example, interview techniques, confidence building, having someone accompany her to job interviews. She was worried that if she were to try a job and leave because it is not suitable, she would be sanctioned or cut off from UC altogether.  

If I went for a job […] and it went wrong, and I couldn’t do it for health reasons. I’d be worried about being sanctioned or not getting Universal Credit because they’ve got me down as working. You know like having to make a new claim.

(Claimant) 

UC claimants like Sarah need to know that:  

• there is support for them to go back to work in the future

• there is an open-door policy where claimants can go back and forth on UC without change in work-related requirements 

Temporary barriers group  

For those experiencing temporary barriers to work, the most appealing support elements were: 

• childcare support so that they can afford to go to work or work more hours  

• the taper rate and work allowance, which means they will be better off as soon as they start working   

• continued claim so that UC support would continue if they moved in and out of work  

• Restart and wider retaining and reskilling support so they could explore the options of finding a new type of job which suits their interests and availability for work

Case illustration 2: Claimant experiencing temporary barriers 

Claire is a woman in her early 40s who is a lone parent to 2 school-age children. She has 10 years of work experience in the food industry, but her role became redundant at the end of the pandemic. Claire is viewing this as a short unemployment spell (3 months) and as an opportunity to make a career shift. Jobcentre Plus enrolled her into a JFS programme, which she found not relevant as she already has basic job-searching skills. 

Before taking part in the research, Claire had no awareness of job training to help switch sectors and she did not know that UC and Jobcentres are connected. After learning about the UC support offer, she approached her Work Coach about SWAPS and Kickstart but did not get referred. Since then, she attended several job interviews in new sectors but was told by interviewers that she is overqualified and so made the decision to go back to the same role as before. Overall, she is disappointed with the support she received from the Jobcentre.  

JETS only helps you look for a job using your existing skills, it is very basic, and I know how to look for work. My Work Coach told me nothing about training courses or apprenticeships/on-the-job training, which is what I want, and now I know that it exists.

(Claimant) 

UC claimants like Claire want:  

• more explicit communication that UC is more than income support  

• information about the targeted support available for people who have string work experience and would like to change sectors 

UC is a stop gap group  

For those who are claiming UC as a stop gap, the most appealing support elements were: 

• childcare support so that they can afford to work more hours  

• the taper rate and work allowance, which means they will always be better off working and working more  

• skills support so they can ensure they are successful in their new role

Case illustration 3: Claimant claiming UC as a stop gap 

Natasha is a 20-year-old woman claiming Universal Credit while waiting to get back to full time dental nursing programme which entails a job placement. She is currently living with her parents and relies on UC for shared household expenses and personal spending. 

At the start of the research, Natasha had a relatively high level of understanding of UC offer and was comfortable searching for information online. She was not open to receiving additional UC support as she already had a career plan and does not see herself as claiming UC for long but knowing that UC has a range of support made her think of UC more highly. 

I want to get a decent wage and sort my career out. Would be great to be working and not rely on UC payments, pay my expenses myself.

(Claimant) 

Although she was not interested in additional support, Natasha passed on the information learned during the research to her friend who is claiming UC, particularly information about passported benefits and support with travel costs.   

Happy as I am group  

For those who described themselves as being happy with their current job and working hours, the most appealing support elements were: 

• childcare support so that they can afford to work more hours 

• the taper rate and work allowance, which means they will always be better off working and working more  

• skills support so they have a wide range of skills 

Case illustration 4: Claimant who is happy as they are 

Eva is a lone parent with a one-year-old son. She is working part-time as a finance assistant and is happy in her current job as it is flexible around her childcare arrangements.  Eva might be interested in increasing her hours to earn more money once her son is a bit older, in 2 to 3 years, but would want to stay in the same job. 

Eva found it easy to search for information about UC support and to understand how it might apply to her. However, she was not very open to accessing any of the support available at the moment. While childcare support was of interest to her, she did not think she could afford to pay for childcare costs upfront, but she may look into taking this up in future.  

Sometimes childcare costs can be more than what you are earning. It can cost £60 per day. The [UC Childcare] offer is nice. But this is not practical. When you are on benefits you don’t have that kind of money to pay for the costs upfront. I am not earning enough to save up. Any spare money I got goes on my heating.

(Claimant) 

UC claimants like Eva may benefit from being aware of:  

• support with childcare costs available  

• support to help them gradually move out of UC support 

• training for changing careers or getting back into work  

Taking action as a result of information about UC support  

Some participants took action as a result of finding out more about the support offer. This included: 

• looking into courses to learn more skills and widen their job search 

• asking their Work Coach to enrol them in an employment support programme

• signing up to do voluntary work or temp jobs (e.g. delivery driving) as a first step into getting back into work

• passing on information to friends about the support offer (in particular childcare)

• applying for support with bills and council tax

• signing up for Help to Save 

• signing up for broadband discount 

Case illustration 5: Claimant taking action after receiving information on UC support  

Aaron is a 24-year-old man living with his partner, Yasmin and a 14-month-old son. Aaron worked full-time and Yasmin was working part-time, but they felt they were struggling financially. The couple started claiming UC after the birth of their child as they needed help to cover bills and food. 

Before taking part in the research, Aaron knew close to nothing about UC as Yasmin was the one managing UC and speaking to the Work Coach. He said he wished he could own his own place rather than rent but felt that “ownership is out of reach for young couples”. During the research, he became interested in the Help to Save scheme and looked into it further.  

By the end of the research, both partners had opened their own Help to Save accounts so they could start saving for a deposit for their own home. Because saving for a home now felt more possible, Yasmin decided to go back to working full time by doing night shifts. They decided against claiming childcare support as they believed they would be better off by working at different times of day instead.  

UC claimants like Aaron and Yasmin may benefit from being aware of the range of UC support available, especially additional support including the Help to Save scheme.  

If someone is claiming, they should be told ‘okay, this is the kind of opportunities you have to get help’. There should be a list of help, like a leaflet or pamphlet one can take home that holds all the information. My partner did not know half of the things we spoke about last time.

(Claimant)

Communicating the support offer 

Overall, participants were very interested in the support available through UC but there was evidence that claimants have poor recall of information that has been provided to them. To ensure that claimants are aware of the support on offer, they want: 

• information about UC support to be tailored to their circumstances 

• information about thresholds including when different elements of UC will be affected and when a claimant will be taken out of the system completely  

• support with understanding how to overcome specific barriers, such as a criminal record

• examples of authentic experiences of using support, including case studies, so they can understand the potential impact of any changes  

The Ongoing barriers group would benefit from a gentle approach, telling them that support is there when they feel ready to access it, and opening their options up, for example, telling them they may be able to work from home. Information about work allowance for those with children, or a health condition could make them feel more motivated to move back into work, and information about childcare and other costs could make the change feel more feasible and worthwhile. This group are also likely to be interested in Restart, so they can improve their skills and find a job they want to do and that fits with their capacity for work.  

The Temporary barriers group would benefit from information about specific aspects of support that will support them to work, or make working more worthwhile, including childcare support, the taper rate and work allowance. They are also interested in support with retraining and reskilling so they can move into jobs they are interested in as well as reassurance about the continued claim so taking a chance in work feels less risky.  

The UC is a stop gap group and the Happy as I am group both wanted messaging that tells them that UC childcare support will make working more hours worthwhile and that taking this offer can open opportunities for new jobs. They are also interested in UC skills support to enhance their future employment prospects.

Conclusions 

Participant context  

Participants were evenly spread across 4 groups, depending on their current work circumstances and attitudes to working, or working more. The Ongoing barriers group were not in work and described significant barriers to working which were unlikely to be resolved, including a disability or long-term condition. The Temporary barriers group included participants in work and those who were not working but all described facing Temporary barriers to working or to working more, for example, having young children which limited their availability to work. The UC is a stop gap group included participants who were claiming UC while working towards a career goal. Finally, the Happy as I am group included participants who were working part time and were happy with this as it fitted with their family and personal life.  

Understanding of UC 

Participants’ understanding of UC at the point of claiming was limited. Most participants knew very little or nothing about Universal Credit before starting their claim and some brought assumptions or misconceptions based on the experiences of others, or from what they had heard in news.  Claims were made with neutral or negative expectations and with little understanding about the detail of the system or the support available.  

After making a claim, participants’ understanding of UC was limited to how it related to their own claim. There was little to no understanding of other aspects of the system, and they were not seeking information or support beyond what was offered to them. Those who were in work generally had a better understanding of work-related support including the taper and, where relevant, work allowance and childcare support.  

Those who were out of work had low awareness of these elements, but did know about support available to find work. There was very low awareness of the support for claimants with a disability or health condition and this created a barrier to engaging with UC support, as claimants were worried about losing their other benefits. Lack of awareness about support available for claimants once they take the next step created uncertainty for them and made moving into work feel more distant and unrealistic.  

Claimants do not look for information independently, instead relying on their Work Coach and, in general, Work Coaches tend to focus on the support the claimant needs in the moment, meaning that future support is not discussed. When claimants do look for information, they tend to focus on GOV.UK and get overwhelmed and confused by the level of information and language used.  

In general, Work Coaches were the preferred source of information as they could talk support through clearly and relate it directly to the claimant. However, this approach leads to inconsistencies between Work Coaches in terms of the information provided and claimants also feel they prefer to avoid discussion of support options in case they feel pushed into accepting them.  

Elements of the support offer 

Support to find work or progress in work: While participants generally had a good understanding of the support available from Jobcentre Plus, many did not link this with UC, and this meant that not all were aware of the support available to find or progress in work.  Awareness of progression support was particularly low, with many assuming that UC would be focussed on getting people into work, rather than in supporting them with retraining or reskilling to get better paid work. Training support was appealing to many, but those who had Limited Capability for Work needed reassurance they would not be pushed into work before they felt ready.  

Continued claim

Most participants were already aware that their UC payments would reduce, but not stop if they started working but were unsure of the details of this. There was also a lack of awareness about the impact of moving in and then out of work, and whether they would lose support. While participants were positive about the continued claim, there was some distrust about how and whether it would work in practice and reassurance was needed around this.  

Taper and work allowance

Participants who were in work generally had good awareness of this support but those who were not in work struggle to understand how it might affect them in practice or when they would start to lose support. While participants were positive about the taper and work allowance, they were seen as stronger motivators to move into work rather than to increase hours or to earn more. Language around these elements was important to how they were perceived and understood by claimants.  

Childcare support

There was generally low awareness of childcare support among participants and no participants had experience of claiming this support element.  While the offer was seen as generous, the reimbursement model was seen as a major barrier as claimants did not think they would be able to afford the first months’ costs and were nervous about relying on UC to repay these the following month.  

Access to Work and Restart

There was low awareness of these schemes, but participants were very positive about them when given information.  Access to Work was seen as gentle support to get into work which helped alleviate some of the fears held by participants about finding and staying in work. Restart was appealing to many and some questioned why they had not been offered this support by their Work Coach. 

Passported benefits

Participants were generally aware of at least some passported benefits but there was low awareness of the full list of available benefits. Help to Save and broadband were both new and appealing to many. Participants felt these needed to be communicated more widely and that eligibility for them needed to be clearer.

Impact on attitudes and motivations 

Attitudes towards UC were more positive by the end of the project. Finding out about support was a key motivator of engagement with UC and the research increased awareness of the support available. However, while participants were pleased to hear about the UC support offer, finding out about support which they may be eligible for, but had not been informed of, created some negativity towards Jobcentre Plus.  There were also concerns about the extent to which some elements of support might impact claimants, and they needed reassurance of these points, including that they will not be pushed into work, or pushed out of the UC system.  

Communicating the support offer 

Overall, participants were very interested in the support available through UC but there was evidence that claimants have poor recall of information that has been provided to them. To ensure that claimants are aware of the support on offer, they wanted personalised information, including help with the specific barriers they faced with working. Information about thresholds was vital, they needed to know when different elements of UC would be affected by their work income and when they would lose support completely. While the range of support available was appealing, the idea of losing eligibility for them if they earned to much was a concern, meaning they could act as both motivators to work and as barriers to earning more.

Appendix - Detailed sample table 

Table 1 – Achieved sample

Criteria	Sub-group	Achieved
Length of UC claim	Began claiming before March 2020	23
Length of UC claim	Began claiming March – July 2020	7
Length of UC claim	Began claiming August 2020 or later	4
Working status	In-work: full-time	7
Working status	In work: part-time	11
Working status	Unemployed	16
Working hours	Flexible hours	8
Joint or single claim	Joint	10
Joint or single claim	Single	24
Presence of children	No children under 19 at home, or only children aged 16-19 and not in full-time education	9
Presence of children	child aged 2 or under	6
Presence of children	Youngest child aged 3-15, or aged 16-19 and in full-time education	19
Disability or long-term health condition	Yes	10
Disability of long-term health condition	No	24
Gender	Male	11
Gender	Female	23
Age	16-24	Mix
Age	25-44	Mix
Age	45+	Mix

Table 2 – Sample profile by audience type  

Characteristics	Ongoing Barriers	Temporary Barriers	UC is a stop-gap	Happy as I am
Number of participants	9	9	8	8
Joint UC Claim	3	2	3	3
Have children	5	7	6	7
Youngest child under 2	0	1	2	3
Working full-time	0	2	3	2
Working part-time	2	3	1	6
Not working	7	4	4	0
Disability	6	2	1	1
Rural Location	1	3	4	4
Age Median	36	34.5	33	31
Began claiming pre-March 2020	6	6	5	6
Began claiming March-July 2020	2	3	1	1
Began claiming Aug 2020 on	1	0	2	1