Description:

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

Date: June 28-29, 2023

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

Venue:

abrdn Financial Fairness Trust
6 St Andrew Square,
Edinburgh, EH2 2AH

Before the course: install UKMOD

• Download and install the model following the instructions here: https://www.microsimulation.ac.uk/ukmod/access. You can also request UKMOD input datasets via the same webpage if you wish. In the training we will use training data supplied with the public-access version of the model.
• Please email iser-ukmod@essex.ac.uk with any problems you encounter 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 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 well and not-so-well throughout and following the programme.

Program

[Download PDF]

Day 1 – Wednesday, 28 June 2023

Instructor: Daria Popova

(UK 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 project
11.00 – 11.10	Break
11.10 – 12.00	Session 2 How UKMOD works Exercise 1: Running the model and using the Statistics Presenter
12.00 – 13.00	Lunch break
13.00 – 14.00	Session 3 EUROMOD tax-benefit microsimulation languageExercise 2: Implementing a reform and analysis using the Statistics Presenter
14.00 – 14.10	Break
14.10 – 15.30	Session 4 The policy spineThe policy functions Elig & ArithOp and the parameters amounts, formula, queriesExercise 3: Implementing a reform using Elig & ArithOp
15.30 – 15.40	Break
15.40 – 16.40	Session 5 Handling errors Types of functionThe policy function BenCalcExercise 4: Implementing a reform using BenCalc
16.40 – 17.00	Q&A
17.00	End of Day 1

Day 2 – Thursday, 29 June 2023

Instructor: Justin van de Ven

(UK Time)	Topic
9.30 – 10.00	Arrival and refreshments
10.00 – 11.00	Session 6 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 7 Exercise 5: Modifying income tax using SchedCalc and DefConstExercise 6: Modifying the benefit cap using DefIL
12.30 – 13.30	Lunch break
13.30 – 15.00	Session 8 The policy function Allocate Assessment units and the system function DefTUExercise 7: Modifying the benefit unit using DefTU
15.00 – 15.15	Break
15.15 – 16.30	Session 9 Adding variables and system function DefVar System function SetDefaultUprating indices and the system function UprateSystem function DefOutput
16.30-17.00	Q&A
17.00	End of Day 2