Employment Support and Conditionality
IES are partnering with the Trussell Trust on new research to understand how employment support and Universal Credit conditionality can better meet the needs of people facing complex barriers to work. The project focuses on young people, carers, single parents, and people with long‑term health conditions who are using food banks, whose lived experience will directly shape the research design and recommendations.
Through a series of participatory, trauma‑informed workshops, participants will explore the barriers they face, what helps them engage with employment support, and how conditionality can be designed in a way that avoids hardship and builds trust. Insights from the workshops will inform practical policy recommendations.