Can the unemployed be ‘nudged’ back into work?
“Unemployed people would be better served by welfare policies that take into account evidence about the reality of human behaviour. However, they would be much, much better served by policies that take into account evidence about the reality of the labour market.” Daniel Sage looks at the role ‘nudge’ could play in welfare to work.
The hidden costs of welfare reform
“However, for most participants – regardless of age, qualification level and gender – welfare-to-work appears to increase anxiety. This is a potent reminder that the costs of welfare reform cannot – and should not – be measured in economic terms.” Daniel Sage argues for a broader definition when considering the impact of welfare to work policies.
Does welfare-to-work boost well-being?
“Improving well-being through welfare-to-work is not straightforward. To make stronger and more widespread gains, it is likely that the government will have to try a much different approach.” Daniel Sage considers whether welfare to work programmes improve the well-being of unemployed people.
Do people really ‘get used to a life on benefits’?
“The cornerstone of the Coalition’s welfare reform agenda is the idea of ‘welfare dependency’…But how valid this is this assumption? Do people get used to a life on benefits?” Daniel Sage puts the Government’s welfare reforms to the test.
Welfare-to-work, in perspective
The image above illustrates the large network of what policy academics call ‘active labour market policies’ (ALMPs); or what politicians refer to, in the increasingly Americanised language of social security, ‘welfare-to-work’. ALMPs are big business. They are in large part carried out by huge private sector providers, such as A4E and G4S, as well as […]
Have universal benefits had their day?
This week, Labour has made some (potentially) significant shifts in its welfare policy. On Monday, Ed Balls announced that a future Labour government would seek to means-test the universal Winter Fuel Allowance. And today, the BBC report that Ed Miliband will state that Labour wouldn’t reinstate the universal principle to Child Benefit. These are significant shifts: suggesting […]
On social security, universality and public support for the welfare state
As the Government moots the idea of means-testing certain benefits for pensioners, Owen Jones writes for The Independent that universality is an integral component of a good welfare state. In response, Sunny Hundal writes that universality does not automatically generate support for social security. In defence of his view, Sunny argues (quite rightly) that overall support for […]