Check a list of live research being conducted by research organisations for the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

Updates to this page

30 October 2026 Removed completed research projects, updated the date for the IFF Research Customer Experience Survey and added 3 new projects: Verian UK Pension Research (October 2026 to December 2026), Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) Reform Evaluation (November 2026 to March 2027) and IFF -- Attendance Allowance research to understand recipient experiences (October 2026 to April 2027). These changes have been made to both the English and Welsh pages.

Removed completed research projects, updated the date for the IFF Research Customer Experience Survey and added 3 new projects: Verian UK Pension Research (October 2026 to December 2026), Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) Reform Evaluation (November 2026 to March 2027) and IFF -- Attendance Allowance research to understand recipient experiences (October 2026 to April 2027). These changes have been made to both the English and Welsh pages.

17 September 2026 Fieldwork dates have been corrected for research project 'Verian - Monitoring the impact of the Local Housing Allowance (LHA)' and project has been moved from 'Completed research' into 'Current research'.

Fieldwork dates have been corrected for research project 'Verian - Monitoring the impact of the Local Housing Allowance (LHA)' and project has been moved from 'Completed research' into 'Current research'.

10 September 2026 Updated the list of current fieldwork to include 2 new projects: NatCen - PIP customers reporting changes of circumstance (September 2026 to October 2026) and Verian- Removal of the 2-child limit evaluation - Early qualitative insights (September 2026 to November 2026).

Updated the list of current fieldwork to include 2 new projects: NatCen - PIP customers reporting changes of circumstance (September 2026 to October 2026) and Verian- Removal of the 2-child limit evaluation - Early qualitative insights (September 2026 to November 2026).

7 August 2026 Updated the list of current fieldwork to include 2 new projects: Ipsos – Self-employed pension savings research (August 2026 to September 2026) and Ipsos – Food Support survey and interviews (August 2026 to October 2026). Revised the fieldwork dates for NatCen – The Work Aspirations of PIP Customers: Qualitative Research (from July 2026 to August 2026 to July 2026 to October 2026) and IFF Research – Customer Experience Survey (from March 2026 to July 2026 to August 2026 to September 2026).

Updated the list of current fieldwork to include 2 new projects: Ipsos – Self-employed pension savings research (August 2026 to September 2026) and Ipsos – Food Support survey and interviews (August 2026 to October 2026). Revised the fieldwork dates for NatCen – The Work Aspirations of PIP Customers: Qualitative Research (from July 2026 to August 2026 to July 2026 to October 2026) and IFF Research – Customer Experience Survey (from March 2026 to July 2026 to August 2026 to September 2026).

15 July 2026 Updated the list of fieldwork to add 4 new research projects: IFF – Employers’ perspectives of automatic enrolment and Defined Benefit pension schemes. IFF Research – Reducing Parental Conflict User Research: New parents’ experiences of parenting and family relationships. NatCen – The Work Aspirations of PIP Customers: Qualitative Research. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) Reform Evaluation – Early Research. All 4 projects will run from July 2026 to August 2026.

Updated the list of fieldwork to add 4 new research projects: IFF – Employers’ perspectives of automatic enrolment and Defined Benefit pension schemes. IFF Research – Reducing Parental Conflict User Research: New parents’ experiences of parenting and family relationships. NatCen – The Work Aspirations of PIP Customers: Qualitative Research. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) Reform Evaluation – Early Research. All 4 projects will run from July 2026 to August 2026.

2 July 2026 Updated table to show current DWP research in the field to be undertaken by external organisations from June 2026.

Updated table to show current DWP research in the field to be undertaken by external organisations from June 2026.

17 June 2026 Updating Welsh

17 June 2026 Updated list of fieldwork with 2 new projects: Verian – Phase 1 Jobs Guarantee Process Evaluation (June 2026 to November 2026) and Ipsos – How Move to Universal Credit Customers Engage with the Labour Market once on Universal Credit ( June 2026 to September 2026).

Updated list of fieldwork with 2 new projects: Verian – Phase 1 Jobs Guarantee Process Evaluation (June 2026 to November 2026) and Ipsos – How Move to Universal Credit Customers Engage with the Labour Market once on Universal Credit ( June 2026 to September 2026).

1 May 2026 Updated list of fieldwork with a new project, date changes to live projects, and the removal of a closed project.

Updated list of fieldwork with a new project, date changes to live projects, and the removal of a closed project.

1 April 2026 Added new fieldwork. Updated some dates and descriptions of previously listed fieldwork.

Added new fieldwork. Updated some dates and descriptions of previously listed fieldwork.

6 March 2026 Updated table to show current DWP research in the field undertaken by external organisations.

Updated table to show current DWP research in the field undertaken by external organisations.

2 March 2026 Updated table to show current DWP research in the field undertaken by external organisations.

Updated table to show current DWP research in the field undertaken by external organisations.

30 January 2026 Updated list of fieldwork with a new project, date changes to live projects, and the removal of a closed project.

Updated list of fieldwork with a new project, date changes to live projects, and the removal of a closed project.

5 January 2026 Updated table to show current DWP research in the field to be undertaken by external organisations from January 2026.

Updated table to show current DWP research in the field to be undertaken by external organisations from January 2026.

22 December 2025 Added translation

19 December 2025 Updated list with Ipsos project: Experiences and circumstances of Move to Universal Credit customers who were not expected to work when claiming Universal Credit

Updated list with Ipsos project: Experiences and circumstances of Move to Universal Credit customers who were not expected to work when claiming Universal Credit

15 December 2025 Date of 'Ipsos UK – Managing a Universal Credit Claim' updated to 'August 2025 to December 2025'.

Date of 'Ipsos UK – Managing a Universal Credit Claim' updated to 'August 2025 to December 2025'.

1 December 2025 Updated table to show current DWP research in the field undertaken by external organisations.

Updated table to show current DWP research in the field undertaken by external organisations.

31 October 2025 Published an updated list of live research currently being undertaken by research organisations for the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

Published an updated list of live research currently being undertaken by research organisations for the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

30 September 2025 Updated the description for the entry 'April 2025 to May 2026 - IFF Research WorkWell'. Updated dates for 'IFF - Restart Customer Satisfaction'.

Updated the description for the entry 'April 2025 to May 2026 - IFF Research WorkWell'. Updated dates for 'IFF - Restart Customer Satisfaction'.

31 August 2025 Updated contractor and title for April 2025 to August 2029 entry. Added new research entries for Institute for Employment Service (IES) from August to October 2025 and Verian for September to October 2025.

Updated contractor and title for April 2025 to August 2029 entry. Added new research entries for Institute for Employment Service (IES) from August to October 2025 and Verian for September to October 2025.

12 August 2025 Verian-Pension Credit Journeys dates updated. Need research added to the table from August to October 2025.

Verian-Pension Credit Journeys dates updated. Need research added to the table from August to October 2025.

29 July 2025 Updated table to show current DWP research in the field undertaken by external organisations.

Updated table to show current DWP research in the field undertaken by external organisations.

26 June 2025 'Verian - Monitoring the Impact of the Local Housing Allowance (LHA)', 'NatCen – Journeys to Access to Work', 'IFF – Restart Customer Satisfaction', and 'IFF – Experiences of UC Work Search Review Meetings' upcoming reports added.

'Verian - Monitoring the Impact of the Local Housing Allowance (LHA)', 'NatCen – Journeys to Access to Work', 'IFF – Restart Customer Satisfaction', and 'IFF – Experiences of UC Work Search Review Meetings' upcoming reports added.

30 May 2025 Research in the field June to September 2025 by IFF on Debt Management Composition and Perceptions has been added to the list.

Research in the field June to September 2025 by IFF on Debt Management Composition and Perceptions has been added to the list.

8 May 2025 Published an updated list of current DWP research.

Published an updated list of current DWP research.

1 May 2025 Published an updated list of current DWP research.

Published an updated list of current DWP research.

7 April 2025 First published.

If you have been contacted to take part in research by an external research organisation on behalf of DWP, check this list to verify that the contact is genuine.

Check that the fieldwork dates, title and description match the information you received when you were approached.

List of current fieldwork

Current research

Sign up for emails or print this page