This small-scale qualitative study of frontline Jobcentre Plus staff was commissioned to supplement the existing evidence base that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) holds about working age claimants with complex needs. The study explored: how complex needs are defined by Jobcentre Plus staff, which claimants Jobcentre Plus staff consider to have complex needs and why, and areas for improvement to the service identified by staff. The fieldwork comprised six focus groups of Jobcentre

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... s staff, conducted during July and August 2011. They took place in six areas across the Country (Greater Manchester; East London; Durham and Tees Valley; Glasgow, Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire; Thames Valley; and West Yorkshire). Findings from the research will be used to inform ongoing efforts to improve service delivery for working age claimants with complex needs by DWP Operations. The research will also add to the wider evidence base for working age claimants with complex needs to inform the implementation of Welfare Reform policies and future policy developments.