December 6, 2016 Leave a Comment
In this report from our recent events with Glasgow Homelessness Network and Crisis, Professor Sarah Johnsen of Heriot-Watt University explores the difficult and sensitive issue of the opportunities, challenges and dilemmas in this aspect of homelessness.
December 2, 2016 Leave a Comment
A new blog by our project’s Peter Dwyer and Janis Bright considers this week’s National Audit Office report on benefit sanctions. The report finds that only limited evidence exists on the outcomes and effectiveness of benefit sanctions leading to increased participation in paid work.
The authors summarise the first wave findings from our own research, which found extensive evidence on the negative effects of conditionality and benefit sanctions. Our work to date suggests the common thread linking stories of successful transitions into work, or the cessation of problematic behaviour, was not so much the threat or experience of sanction, but the availability of appropriate individual support. Read the blog
December 2, 2016 Leave a Comment
Peter Dwyer and Janis Bright consider this week’s report
This week the National Audit Office published its report on benefit sanctions. The NAO found that an increasingly harsh sanctions regime, extended in scope and severity, has been running for quite some time with only limited evidence on the outcomes and effectiveness of benefit sanctions leading to increased participation in paid work.
The NAO points out that government has a duty to evaluate its own rules, and to ‘balance their effectiveness in encouraging employment against the impacts on claimants and any wider costs for public spending’. Read More
November 23, 2016 Leave a Comment
This month the Scottish Parliament held a one-hour debate on the issues raised by our project’s first wave findings on social security.
The debate was instigated by Sandra White MSP, Convener of the parliament’s Social Security Committee. She tabled a motion to the parliament noting with concern our first wave findings, including: Read More
October 24, 2016 Leave a Comment
Service users interviewed for our study widely reported hardship, anxiety and feelings of injustice from sanctions, report team members Dr Janis Bright and Professor Peter Dwyer. Many people felt support was lacking and some believed they were sanctioned wrongly, they add. The details are in a blog on our project’s first wave research findings written for the Economic and Social Research Council.
The writers add: ‘Our interviewees said they wanted to improve their circumstances and move toward the world of work. Many wanted support to achieve that. So far we are finding that the provision of appropriate support – not sanctions – does seem to make the difference.’ The research project will continue until 2018. Read the full post. See our first wave findings.
September 19, 2016 Leave a Comment
This summer we launched our first wave research findings at a series of events. Here’s the story as it happened via Twitter.
And here are the findings in full
August 31, 2016 Leave a Comment
Our project gave evidence in March 2016 to the SSAC’s consultation on the important issue of decision making and mandatory reconsideration in the welfare benefits system, which has now reported. A number of respondents in our study who had been sanctioned and took action to initiate mandatory reconsideration or appeal found the process complex, time-consuming, lengthy and costly. Because of these factors the majority did not pursue a mandatory reconsideration or appeal.
August 3, 2016 Leave a Comment
The EU referendum result has led to much debate on UK relations with Europe, but what will the effects be within the UK? Our new guest blog by Jed Meers from the University of York argues that the vote’s potential implications on the domestic welfare system should not be ignored. Read his blog ‘Do you believe in life after leave?‘
August 3, 2016 Leave a Comment
In the aftermath of the EU referendum result, Jed Meers from the University of York argues that the vote’s potential implications on the domestic welfare system should not be ignored.
Before the EU referendum, Iain Duncan Smith – then the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions – clarified his priorities: “my big passion is welfare reform, but Europe goes over everything.” Though intended at the time to indicate the weighting of his personal opinion, this statement aptly describes post-Brexit manoeuvres. As the unpicking commences (or perhaps more accurately given concerns over Article 50, plans in advance of it) it is clear that our membership of the EU is indeed all over everything, welfare reform included. Read More
July 27, 2016 Leave a Comment
In our latest guest blog, University of the West of England research student Coralie Neave-Coleshaw reviews the recent UN report revealing concerns about the UK welfare system. She shows how disabled people are affected by supply-side employment policies, and argues for a sustained effort to tackle economic demand-side barriers together with effective support into work. Read more
