Research into the ESA Claimant Trials

IES was commissioned, with SPRU at the University of York, to lead qualitative research into ESA claimants' experience of three new trials designed to move participants closer to the labour market – Voluntary Early Intervention (VEI), Claimant Commitment (CC) and More Intensive Support (MIS).

IES led interviews with claimants, observing their meetings with Work Coaches, and explored claimants’ attitudes towards the support, their motivation and engagement in work-focused discussions, and how these changed over the course of receiving the support. The aim was for data gathered to inform decision-making on national roll-out and the final operational design of the interventions.