Can altering the structure of financial support payments aid work retention amongst lone parents? Qualitative evaluation of the In Work Retention Pilot

Wage supplementations in the form of temporary ‘in-work credits’ have been introduced in recent years for a number of claimant groups entering work, to encourage enhanced work entry and retention rates. For lone parents, the In Work Credit was piloted from April 2004 and then rolled out nationally in April 2008. It is a wage supplement paid at £40 a week (£60 in London) for 12 months to eligible lone parents moving in to work. From July 2008 to June 2010, a variant on this, the In Work Retention Pilot (IWRP), was trialled in two Jobcentre Plus districts. The IWRP was intended to test the effectiveness of using In Work Credit payments as an aid to job retention and progression, by changing the payment structure of the credits and offering additional advisory support on retention and advancement. This report presents findings from a qualitative evaluation of the IWRP, examining the delivery of the pilot and the views of lone parents and Jobcentre Plus staff on: the distinctive IWRP payment structure; the retention and progression challenges facing lone parents and the support received; and whether and how the IWRP made a difference to work behaviour and decisions. The study is based on interviews, focus groups and observations with Jobcentre Plus delivery staff and participating lone parents

On the return period and design in a multivariate framework

Abstract. Calculating return periods and design quantiles in a multivariate environment is a difficult problem: this paper tries to make the issue clear. First, we outline a possible way to introduce a consistent theoretical framework for the calculation of the return period in a multi-dimensional environment, based on Copulas and the Kendall's measure. Secondly, we introduce several approaches for the identification of suitable design events: these latter quantities are of utmost importance in practical applications, but their calculation is yet limited, due to the lack of an adequate theoretical environment where to embed the problem. Throughout the paper, a case study involving the behavior of a dam is used to illustrate the new concepts outlined in this work