Publications
Our publications are listed below in date order. On the left they are grouped into categories for easy reference.
WelCond researchers present work in Sweden
June 24, 2019 Leave a Comment
Three members of the WelCond research team presented their work at the FISS annual conference in Sigtuna, Sweden, on 10 June 2019. The title of Dr Katy Jones, Prof Lisa Scullion and Dr Sharon Wright’s paper was Just about managing’? Exploring the experiences of welfare users at the margins of the UK labour market. Programme details
Our evidence to the UN Special Rapporteur
October 25, 2018 Leave a Comment
Our project has submitted written evidence to the UN Special Rapporteur on on extreme poverty and human rights, Professor Philip Alston. Professor Alston will undertake an official visit to the UK from 6 to 16 November 2018 at the invitation of the government. His visit will focus, in accordance with his mandate, on the interlinkages between poverty and the realisation of human rights in the United Kingdom.
In our evidence, Project Director Professor Peter Dwyer, University of York; Dr Lisa Scullion, University of Salford, and Dr Sharon Wright, University of Glasgow, write on behalf of our project on the erosion of economic and social rights as a core component of national citizenship status and justifications for such rights on the basis of universal human needs. Based on our final findings, they detail how benefit sanctions leave many unable to meet their basic needs, with those sanctioned increasingly reliant on charitable and (where available) familial provision for support.
Read our evidence in full.
Social security in Scotland: final findings
September 13, 2018 Leave a Comment
This report covering our research in Scotland calls for greater social security powers to be devolved to that country. With many social security powers still reserved to Westminster, it means an ineffective UK system of conditionality and sanctions is causing profound suffering to people in Scotland, the researchers say. Read the full report
Fixed term tenancies: revealing divergent views on the purpose of social housing
July 27, 2018 Leave a Comment
This report written by WelCond team members Dr Beth Watts and Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick from Heriot-Watt University details the findings of two bespoke online surveys circulated to local authorities and housing associations in partnership with the Housing Quality Network, exploring how (if at all) they are currently using FTTs, their motives and rationales for these decisions, and the impacts of this form of tenancy on social landlords and tenants. Read in full
Our evidence on Universal Credit to the Public Accounts Committee
July 12, 2018 Leave a Comment
Our project gave evidence to the Commons Public Accounts Committee inquiry into Universal Credit, following the recent National Audit Office report.
Our evidence, drawn from our final research findings, said that benefit sanctions in Universal Credit are damaging and can be counterproductive. They are ineffective in enabling people to find paid employment, our researchers told the committee. For respondents in our study, ‘paid employment was more of a moving target than a destination’.
Evidence to Benefit Sanctions inquiry
July 12, 2018 Leave a Comment
Our project gave evidence to the Commons Work & Pensions Committee inquiry into benefit sanctions.
Key points in evidence included: Read More
Final findings report
July 9, 2018 Leave a Comment
Our final findings report collates the findings from our research project into a single volume, together with a new section on methods.
Our individual policy area findings papers and overview are available here.
Final findings: WelCond project
May 22, 2018 Leave a Comment
Our final research findings were published on 22 May 2018.
Summarises the final findings of the Welfare Conditionality project (2013-2018). It presents analysis on the effectiveness, impacts and ethics of welfare conditionality, and the sanctions and mandatory support that underpin this approach. Discussion draws on analyses of qualitative data generated in interviews with 52 policy stakeholders, 27 focus groups conducted with practitioners, and repeat qualitative longitudinal interviews undertaken with welfare service users in England and Scotland (481 at wave a). Interviewees were drawn from nine policy areas: jobseekers, Universal Credit (UC) Read More
Books and book chapters
April 3, 2018 Leave a Comment
Dwyer, P. (2020) ‘Questions of conduct and social justice: the ethics of welfare conditionality within UK social security’ pp. 198-210 in Eleveld, A., Kampen, T., and Arts, J. [eds.] Welfare to work in contemporary European welfare states: legal, sociological and philosophical perspectives on justice and domination, Bristol, The Policy Press.
Dwyer, P. (ed) (2019) ‘Dealing with welfare conditionality: implementation and effects’. Policy Press. https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/dealing-with-welfare-conditionality
Watts, B. & Fitzpatrick, S., (2018) ‘Welfare Conditionality’. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Welfare-Conditionality/Watts-Fitzpatrick/p/book/9781138119901
Dwyer, P. (2017) ‘Rewriting the contract? Conditionality, welfare reform and the rights and responsibilities of disabled people’, Chapter 8 in Social Policy in an Era of Competition: from global to Local Perspectives, Horsfall, D and Hudson J. [eds], Bristol, the Policy Press.
Dwyer, P. (2016) ‘Citizenship, conduct and conditionality: sanction and support in the 21st century UK welfare state’, pp. 41-62 in Social Policy Review 28 Bristol, The Policy Press /Social Policy Association.
Welfare conditionality and families
December 11, 2017 Leave a Comment
Our Director Professor Peter Dwyer recorded a video and slides titled ‘Welfare conditionality: some issues and concerns for families and children’ which were presented at the ‘Picking up the pieces : the fallout of welfare reform’ forum on 20 October 2017 in Melbourne, Australia.
