Operated by the British government’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), UK ERA represents one of only a few, and by far the largest, random assignment demonstration projects ever conducted in the United Kingdom. UK ERA services were directed at individuals in three distinct low-income groups known to have difficulty retaining a job or advancing to better positions:

• The long-term unemployed (mostly men)

• Lone parents on income support (mostly women)

• Lone parents working part time and receiving the Working Tax Credit (akin to the Earned Income Tax Credit in the United States)

The program offered a combination of services and financial incentives that lasted for as long as two years after participants entered work.

• Under UK ERA, new employment specialists, called Advancement Support Advisers, worked with job developers to offer participants ongoing advice and assistance intended to help them overcome obstacles to steady employment and find pathways toward better job opportunities and wage progression. The advisers referred participants who wished to enhance their skills while employed to occupational training organizations. Participants who needed extra help to address personal problems that were hindering their success in the labor market were referred to social service agencies.

• The financial incentives included a retention bonus for participants who remained stably employed in full-time work. It was paid three times per year in increments of about $600, up to a maximum total award of $3,600. Participants who combined training with employment were eligible to receive a training bonus and tuition assistance, each up to about $1,500.

An underlying objective of UK ERA was to spark knowledge transfer that would build capacity in the UK to conduct future random assignment social experiments, a goal MDRC accomplished through its close working relationship with its consortium partners and with DWP policy, program, and research staff.