Making research accessible to the Department for Work and Pensions

Researchers in Connecting Generations have been communicating their research to different teams in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), with the aim of improving their evidence base for decisions. In January 2023, Dr Jason Hilton, Professor Eren Dodd, Professor Jakub Bijak, Professor Peter Smith, and Dr Joanne Ellison met with the DWP Demography Centre of Expertise to discuss how Connecting Generations research can feed into DWP microsimulation modelling and their wider mission.

In May 2023, Professor Athina Vlachantoni took part in a discussion with DWP and presented research on ‘Population trends in the UK and globally’. Research by Professor Jane Falkingham, Professor Maria Evandrou and Professor Vlachantoni on ‘Exploring the link between demographic change and poverty in the UK’, and Professor Ann Berrington and Dr Juliet Stone on ‘Cohabitation trends and patterns in the UK’ was cited in DWP research report no. 1031 ‘Are household formation decisions and living together fraud and error affected by the Living Together as a Married Couple policy? An evidence review’, published in July 2023. The report informs DWP’s living together policy and its application to reserved GB benefits.

The ongoing relationship with DWP will be strengthened through a new PhD fellowship. Secured by Professor Vlachantoni and Professor Falkingham, and funded by ESRC ADRUK, the PhD fellowship will investigate the characteristics of WASPI women (women against state pension inequality), using DWP data.

Further reading

Are household formation decisions and living together fraud & error affected by the Living Together as a Married Couple policy? An Evidence Review (DWP research report no. 1031)

Exploring the link between demographic change and poverty in the UK (CPC working paper 54)

Cohabitation trends and patterns in the UK (CPC report)