News
Social policy analysis routinely suggests that welfare reform is damaging the social rights of vulnerable groups. But what does this actually mean? Recognising (and overcoming) the conceptual vagueness of social citizenship might help provide some clarity, says Daniel Edmiston from the University of Leeds in a new guest blog.
He suggests that greater attention to the constitutive elements of citizenship can help clarify the significance of welfare conditionality and its bearing on social rights. To To do that, he says, we need to look at three key considerations of relevance: what effect is welfare conditionality having on the ‘effectiveness’, ‘inalienability’ and ‘universality’ of social rights?
Welfare Conditionality Project impact officer Janis Bright reports on last week’s joint event with the EU Rights Project, titled ‘Brexit: what welfare, what rights for EU migrants in Britain?’
The date – 29 March – was certainly memorable. On the same day that Prime Minister Theresa May initiated Britain’s exit from the EU, our event in York debated the welfare and rights of those EU citizens already here in the UK. It was clear that many participants in our event were concerned with the treatment of EU migrants under the current rules and practice: so what would the future hold? Read More
Our highly successful PhD symposium for this year was held on 8-9 March 2017. The researchers’ presentation slides are now on our site here. The event as told on Twitter can also be seen on Storify.
Roundtable event
Wednesday 29 March, CSE/082&083 Meeting Room, Computer Science Building, University of York
11am-3.20pm
Free, booking essential
Many aspects of the UK’s exit from the European Union are unclear at this stage. But we do know that important issues of principle and practice in the legal and welfare systems are at stake. This roundtable event showcases recent research concerning EU migrants in the UK and offers the chance to help shape a practical legal rights toolkit. It invites debate on future provision to underpin EU migrants’ welfare support and access to justice. Read More
Tom Boland and Ray Griffin from Waterford Institute of Technology have conducted interviews before, during and after the roll-out of activation policies in Ireland. Their study reveals how policy works out in practice, beyond what is measurable statistically. Read their blog
Come along to our free event on Thursday 9 March. Hear excellent presentations from four of our PhD research students and join the debate on social policy. Featuring:
Emily Ball, University of Sheffield
‘Making’ vulnerable families change their behaviour in intensive interventions
Read More
A grant of a £171,995 has been awarded to the University of Salford, working with the University of York on a two-year project, to examine what impact interaction with the benefit system has on the transition of military personnel to civilian life, thanks to support from the Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT). The project will link with our own WelCond research.
Read More
WelCond Project Director Peter Dwyer was recently invited by Rotterdam City Council to speak at a national event about welfare conditionality in the Netherlands and more particularly ‘Tegenprestatie’. Roughly translated into English this refers to the ‘civic contribution’ that Dutch people are required to make when in receipt of social assistance benefits. In this new blog he reflects on a lively event that debated ideas about social inclusion and employment.
Welfare Conditionality Project researcher Dr Jenny McNeill has co-authored one of the Journal of Poverty and Social Justice’s ‘top five’ most read articles of 2016. In a new blog she summarises the main issues. In contrast to long-standing caricatures of scroungers and skivers, she argues, our research shows the real hardships faced by many claiming welfare benefits. That includes people who are stigmatised, sanctioned and struggling to get by, turning to foodbanks, to other sources of support, and to ‘survival crime’. Read the blog here
Our Director Professor Peter Dwyer presented a summary of the project’s first wave research findings today at the National Housing Federation’s Welfare Reform conference. Professor Dwyer outlined the negative experiences of study respondents who had been sanctioned, some limited evidence of positive experiences of support, and issues of improving implementation in the system. View his presentation here
