Description:

The course will provide an introduction to UKMOD, the free tax-benefit microsimulation model for the UK and its constituent nations.

Date: May 17-18, 2023

Registration: Limited places available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please register here. There is no registration fee, the course is free.

Venue:

Trades Union Congress
Congress House, Great Russell Street
London, WC1B 3LS

Before the course: install UKMOD

• Download the EUROMOD software engine and the UKMOD model from https://www.microsimulation.ac.uk/ukmod/access/. The course will use training data, so you do not need to apply for the real data (but you might wish to do so). Follow the installation instructions.
• If you experience any problem, please email iser-ukmod@essex.ac.uk and we will try to help.

During the course

• Course timetable is in GMT (UK time).
• You will need to bring your own laptop, install the UKMOD software and download the model and the input data as explained above.  
• The course is organised as a mixture of lectures and hands-on exercises. We will be showing you a step-by-step solution for each exercise.
• Each session includes time for questions as well as a dedicated Q&A session.
• We would welcome your feedback on what went/did not go well and on how we can improve!

Program

[PDF download]

Day 1 – Wednesday, 17 May 2023

Instructors: Justin Van De Ven and Matteo Richiardi

Time	Topic
9.30 – 10.00	Arrival and refreshments
10.00 – 11.00	Session 1 Introduction: static tax-benefit models, distributional analysis and the UKMOD projectHow UKMOD works Exercise 1: Running the model and using the Statistics Presenter for analysis
11.00 – 11.10	Break
11.10 – 12.30	Session 2 EUROMOD tax-benefit microsimulation languageExercise 2: Implementing a reform to the UK model and using the Statistics Presenter for analysis
12.30 – 13.30	Lunch break
13.30 – 15.00	Session 3 The Policy SpineThe Policy functions Elig & ArithOp and the parameters amounts, formula, queriesExercise 3: Implementing a reform to the Child Benefit, using Elig & ArithOp
15.00 – 15.15	Break
15.15 – 16.45	Session 4 Handling errors Types of functionThe Policy function BenCalcExercise 4: Implementing a reform to the Child Benefit, using BenCalc
16.45-17.00	Q&A
17.00	End of Day 1

Day 2 – Thursday, 18 May 2023

Instructors: Matteo Richiardi and Daria Popova

Time	Topic
9.30 – 10.00	Arrival and refreshments
10.00 – 11.00	Session 5 Re-cap of Day 2 (functions Elig, ArithOp and BenCalc)The policy function SchedCalcThe system functions DefConst & DefIL
11.00-11.10	Break
11.10 – 12.30	Session 6 Exercise 5: Modifying the income tax in the UK, using SchedCalc and DefConstExercise 6: Modifying the benefit cap in the UK, using DefIL
12.30 – 13.30	Lunch break
13.30 – 15.00	Session 7 The Policy function Allocate Assessment units and the system function DefTUExercise 7: Modifying the benefit unit in the UK, using DefTU
15.00 – 15.15	Break
15.15 – 16.30	Session 8 Uprating indices and the system function UprateVariable types and system function DefVar System function DefOutput
16.30-17.00	Q&A
17.00	End of Day 2