How can DWP improve the effectiveness of claimant access to DWP information in order to prevent fraud and error in the benefit system? How can DWP ensure its communication campaigns enable good claimant understanding of respective roles and responsibilities? How can DWP design its systems and communications to encourage claimants to report their changes of circumstances in a timely and accurate way?

Background

This encompasses priorities around:
- continuing to reduce and prevent fraud and error in benefit expenditure
to deliver value for money for the taxpayer and an appropriate balance between effective fraud prevention and good customer experience
- becoming an increasingly data driven organisation with modern, secure, sustainable, and automated systems to drive better experiences for DWP customers, staff and taxpayers
- understanding customers’ experience so DWP can target interventions when and where they have the most impact
- working smartly and flexibly to deliver services when, where and how DWP customers need them, increasing analytical capability to tailor services to customers’ individual needs and circumstances

Next steps

Send correspondence and further questions to evidence.strategyteam@dwp.gov.uk.

Source

This question was published as part of the set of ARIs in this document:

DWP Areas of Research Interest 2023 GOV UK

Related UKRI funded projects

  • Welfare at a (Social) Distance: Accessing social security and employment support during the COVID-19 crisis and its aftermath

    The benefits system is crucial to supporting people during, and after, the COVID-19 crisis but is under extraordinary pressure from an unprecedented wave of new Universal Credit (UC) applications. The benefits system the...

    Funded by: COVID

    Lead research organisation: University of Salford

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project partially answers the question by providing evidence on how well the benefits system is meeting the challenges of providing timely income and support to claimants and helping them return to work. The authors have the necessary expertise to conduct surveys, case studies, and interviews with claimants and support providers.

  • Automating Social Security in the UK: A Study on Incorporating Claimant Voices in the Design of Universal Credit

    Governments around the world are adopting algorithmic systems to deliver fundamental social services, from policing to fraud detection to child welfare. While a growing set of research investigates the designs of these s...

    Funded by: ESRC

    Lead research organisation: University of Edinburgh

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project partially answers the question by examining the automation of social security benefits in the UK and its impact on claimants. The authors have the necessary expertise to conduct interviews, workshops, and fieldwork to gather evidence on the design and effects of the Universal Credit system.