Social Mobility Commission - Who are the long term welfare recipients and what prevents them from progressing socially and economically?

Overview

Project Description The Social Mobility Commission (SMC) monitors progress towards improving social mobility in the UK and promotes social mobility in England. It is an independent statutory body created by an Act of Parliament. The SMC is interested in conducting research to understand those who are long-term welfare recipients and the factors preventing them from progressing socially and economically. Our motivation stems from wanting to understand the characteristics of long-term welfare recipients, how they utilise the welfare system and the individual and systemic factors that prevent progress. Background The UK welfare system has evolved over time. Post-World War II, the 1942 Beveridge report and 1948 National Assistance Act, saw the initiation of a comprehensive, non-means-tested system of social security designed to act as a financial safety net. The system was intended to act as a 'trampoline' supporting people in times of need, before returning to self sufficiency. However, there are arguments that the current system prevents those at the lowest socioeconomic levels from moving upwards. The mechanisms for the welfare system affecting long-term dependency are influenced by a complex combination of systemic and individual factors and little is known about those who are long-term dependent and how to support them. Objectives The SMC's primary objective is to answer the research question: What prevents people who are long term recipients of welfare from progressing socially and economically? To begin to answer this question, we wish to conduct quantitative research to provide an understanding of 'long term welfare recipients'. This will include: 1) Defining who is a long term welfare recipient. What is the prevalence and what are the core demographic and socio-economic factors that define this group? 2) What are the flows of people into and out of long term welfare receipt? Do people get 'stuck' on welfare? 3) What socio demographic characteristics and structural factors are associated with people flowing into and out of long term welfare receipt? Through this research, SMC will gain a rich understanding of individuals who are long term welfare recipients, their characteristics, and the sociodemographic characteristics that are associated with moving into and out of dependency. This evidence will inform a separate qualitative workstream (out of scope of this tender). Employing a systems thinking approach, the SMC will convene experts across the working and policy level for a series of workshops (e.g. incorporating work coaches, DWP officials, academics, think-tanks and charities). These sessions will map the interconnected components of the system surrounding long-term welfare use. It will build on descriptive evidence of those who are long term welfare recipients, to identify critical patterns, relationships, and feedback loops both at the individual and system level. In tandem with the quantitative research proposed in this tender, this holistic mapping will support SMC's wider aspirations to understand systemic barriers to progress and provide policy recommendations to reduce welfare dependency. (The supplier is not expected to recommend interventions or make wider policy recommendations.) Deliverables Deliverable 1: The supplier will provide an analysis plan for the proposed research. This will include a robust and rigorous quantitative methodology. We anticipate the method utilising existing longitudinal data such as Understanding Society or similar. Specifically, the analysis we would like the supplier to conduct is: - To define those who are long term welfare recipients within the data. This will require development of a suitable definition, to be agreed with the SMC. For instance, identifying those of working age who state they have not been in employment in the last 12 months and are receiving means-tested benefits. - Identify prevalence of long term welfare recipients and their wider characteristics. This will