Work, Pensions & Labour Economics 2026 Study Group (WPEG)
About this Event
The Work, Pensions & Labour Economics 2026 Study Group (WPEG) will be a hybrid event on Tuesday 14th July. It will be jointly organised by the Department for Work and Pensions and the University of Sheffield's Department of Economics.
As in previous years there will be a wide range of sessions on areas of labour and pensions policy.
By registering you will be able to attend any of the available sessions.
As this year's study group is hybrid, Microsoft Teams links will be shared with online attendees in advance of the study group.
We require presenters to present in-person and they must select the "Presenter (In-Person)" ticket. DWP staff who wish to attend in-person must select the "DWP Economist In-Person" ticket or the "DWP Non-Economist In-Person" ticket. In-person attendees from other government departments must select the "Non-DWP Government Economist In-Person" ticket. In-person attendees from other organisations must select the "External In-Person" ticket. All online attendees must select the "Online" ticket.
All presenters and attendees need to register for the event to ensure that they receive any study group communications, updates and Teams links.
Our keynote speaker will be Professor Nick Pearce, Director of The Institute for Policy Research and Professor of Public Policy at the University of Bath. He has extensive experience in policy research and government policymaking and writes on a wide range of issues, from contemporary British politics, public service and welfare state reform, to Britain's place in the world. His recent publications include and .
Nick is currently a member of the Pensions Commission and Chair of the Living Wage Commission.
Agenda
10:00 – 10:30 Registration & Coffee
10:30 – 10:45 Event Introduction
Tom Younger/Vanna Aldin, DWP Chief Economists and Bert Van Landeghem, University of Sheffield
10:45-11:35 A1 Health and Inactivity
Transitions in and out of health-related economic inactivity using the FRS linked to RAPID (James, Trione, Parker-Smith, Burley)
The impact of the pandemic on health-related inactivity and benefit claims (Portes, Savolainen, Vallis)
Discussion Chair: TBC (10 mins)
10:45-11:35 A2 NEETs and Apprentices
Apprentice Voice - Using real-time feedback from apprentices in Scotland (Watt, McLelland, Rybochkina, Donoghue, McCartan)
Using admin data to analyse changes in NEET risk factors between cohorts (Francesca Rhys-Williams, Krishna Nair)
Discussion Chair: TBC (10 mins)
10:45-11:35 A3 Education and wages
The Differential Impact of Higher Education Expansion on Discipline Premium: Evidence from the Student Number Cap on Removal in England (Yao, Zhu, McKenzie)
Labour market segmentation and urban-rural wage gap: the role of education (Nan, Popli)
Discussion Chair: TBC (10 mins)
11:35-11:50 Break
11:50-12:40 Keynote Session
Professor Nick Pearce: Pensions Commission
12:40-13:40 Lunch
13:40-14:55 B1 Intergenerational disadvantage
Neighbourhood Deprivation and Intergenerational Income Mobility in England (Gill)
The long shadow; How childhood disadvantage depresses the earnings of university graduates in England (Diniz, Egyei, Stansbury and Thwaites)
The Persistence of Income Reporting Errors in Household Survey Design (Bollinger, Tasseva)
Discussion Chair: TBC (10 mins)
13:40-14:55 B2 Pensions
Pensioner poverty in 2050: Using microsimulation modelling for long-term projections. (Imogen Butcher)
How can low earners afford a commensurate retirement income? (Pike, Khambhaita, Upton)
Pensions Commission Analysis (TBC)
Discussion Chair: TBC (10 mins)
13:40-14:55 B3 Universal Credit
Investigating the impact that the imposition of the two-child benefit cap on Universal Credit and Child Tax Credits had on mental health outcomes, and if this impact varied across gender (Holly Jones)
The Universal Credit Work Search Review Reduced Frequency Trial (Daniel Woodell, David Boll, Elodie Chervin)
‘Preliminary work to Estimate the Employment Impact of Move to Universal Credit (M2UC) on former Tax Credit claimants who were part of Managed Migration’ (Sebastian Lyons)
Discussion Chair: TBC (10 mins)
14:55-15:10 Break
15:10-16:00 C1 Disability benefits and health
Delivering Dignity? Early lessons from the introduction of ADP in Scotland (Judge, Murphy)
Impacts of employment transitions on mental health and life satisfaction among individuals with arthritis: a staggered difference-in-differences analysis (Webb, Henderson, Stevens, Kingsbury, Martin)
Discussion Chair: TBC (10 mins)
15:10-16:00 C2 Employment characteristics and legislation
The value of commuting time, flexibility, and job security: Evidence from current and recent jobseekers in Flanders (Van Landeghem, Dohmen, Risa Hole)
The Economics of Employment Protection Legislation (WS Siebert)
Discussion Chair: TBC (10 mins)
16:00-16:15 Closing Remarks
Vanna Aldin/Tom Younger, DWP Chief Economists
Venue directions:
It is an 18 min walk from Sheffield Train Station to the venue.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 0.00
