In a new blog, PhD student Joanne Brown discusses preliminary findings from her ongoing research. Her study is exploring the lived experiences of welfare support and sanctions for people receiving Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Welfare advisers implement policy at the ground level, but to what extent does this affect the way policy is shaped? Initial interviews with ESA recipients have indicated that two factors are relevant. Both the approach of the adviser and the constraints they work within can influence the way in which a welfare claimant engages or disengages with back-to-work support. Read the full article
Joanne Brown discusses preliminary findings from her ongoing PhD research which is exploring the lived experiences of welfare support and sanctions for people receiving Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Welfare advisers implement policy at the ground level, but to what extent does this affect the way policy is shaped? Initial interviews with ESA recipients have indicated that two factors are relevant. Both the approach of the adviser and the constraints they work within can influence the way in which a welfare claimant engages or disengages with back-to-work support. Read More
During the high growth of the ‘Celtic Tiger’ period in Ireland (1997-2007), Irish parliamentarians and policymakers consciously ignored the OECD-wide push towards more ‘active labour market policies’ and particularly benefit conditionality. Then, during a very acute recession, with unemployment rising from 4% to 15%, the state applied for an IMF/EU/ECB bailout. One of the resulting conditions was the implementation of active labour market policies.
Our guest bloggers Tom Boland and Ray Griffin from Waterford Institute of Technology review the Irish government’s Pathways to Work policy in the wake of the international economic crash.
Tom Boland and Ray Griffin from Waterford Institute of Technology review the Irish government’s Pathways to Work policy
During the high growth of the ‘Celtic Tiger’ period in Ireland (1997-2007), Irish parliamentarians and policymakers consciously ignored the OECD-wide push towards more ‘active labour market policies’ and particularly benefit conditionality. However, during a very acute recession, with unemployment rising from 4% to 15%, the state applied for an IMF/EU/ECB bailout. One of the conditions of the resulting 2010 ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ was the implementation of active labour market policies. The political talk was of both doing things and being seen to be doing things to restore confidence in the bond market. So in 2012 the new government implemented the Pathways to Work policy, largely based on that in the UK, but taking some inspiration from Australia and elsewhere. Read More
Our Director Peter Dwyer considers the right ways to quote service users in research, following criticism of the DWP. Two real-life accounts of the effect of benefits sanctions sets out contrasting examples of case studies. It also updates readers on our long term study of the effects of welfare sanctions and support.
Our Director Professor Peter Dwyer rounded up the evidence to date on anti-social behaviour and welfare conditionality in a presentation to a recent HouseMark conference. He outlined to HouseMark’s annual ASB conference that the intended purpose of conditionality is to re-align the relationship between entitlement or support, and people’s conduct or behaviour. Previous research has stressed the importance to achieving change of a key worker with an assertive approach and ‘non-negotiable expectations’. Early indicative findings from our project (summarised in our briefing paper) suggest many individuals are not fully aware of nature of the interventions, forms of sanction or behavioural requirements. There are also concerns over the loss of professional expertise through budget restrictions.
Project director Professor Peter Dwyer today discussed welfare and conditionality with parliamentarians and other policy influencers at an All Party Parliamentary Group. The APPG for Social Science and Policy heard presentations on welfare benefits reform and its effects. Read our ESRC Evidence briefing prepared for the meeting and Professor Dwyer’s short presentation.
The project’s annual report for 2013/14, containing news of all our activities, can be downloaded here.
Two members of the Welfare Conditionality Project research team are presenting at the Social Policy Association conference in Belfast this week.
‘Lone parent or brunt-bearer?’ is the title of Dr Sharon Wright’s presentation to a special symposium at the conference on Women, Work and Welfare Reform. Based on a paper by herself and Professor Sarah Johnsen, the presentation charts the development of welfare reforms that have changed the balance of sanctions and support for lone parents.
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A new blog by Laura Welti, Manager of Bristol Disability Equality Forum, gives a timely reminder of the original purpose of unemployment-related benefits for Disabled people. In discussing the higher value of unemployment-related benefits for Disabled people, she argues, we also need to return to the original purpose. Only then can we address the issues raised by recent benefit changes. Read Laura’s blog here
