Research into ESA Claimants

The DWP is looking to procure a supplier thatr will undertake robust qualitative research which will help inform policy decision-making. The research will be conducted with ESA claimants who are participating in one of three trials covered under this overall project.

This research will provide evidence to support policy decision-making and help shape future service delivery for ESA claimants. This commissioned research will focus on the experiences of the ESA claimants who have been involved in these trials and understand whether the support has helped them move closer to work. This qualitative research will form part of an overall evaluation strategy which will include, where feasible, an in-house quantitative impact assessment and in-house qualitative process evaluation with JCP staff. Further details of the trial design and overall evaluation can be in annex A.

Each trial will be run independently and we will want trial specific qualitative evidence to support each trial evaluation. However, in addition to this we also require a report which synthesises all the qualitative evidence from the claimant research across all three trials and draws out the key learning from these trials to inform policy and operational delivery decisions.