Policy Press

What’s Wrong with Social Security Benefits?

By Paul Spicker

Published

Feb 22, 2017

Page count

124 pages

ISBN

978-1447337324

Dimensions

198 x 129 mm

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

Feb 22, 2017

Page count

124 pages

ISBN

978-1447337348

Dimensions

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

Feb 22, 2017

Page count

124 pages

ISBN

978-1447337355

Dimensions

Imprint

Policy Press
What’s Wrong with Social Security Benefits?

In this thought-provoking book, Paul Spicker challenges readers to rethink social security benefits in Britain. Putting a case for reform of the system, Spicker argues that most of the criticisms made of social security benefits – that spending is out of control, that it has led to mushrooming dependency, that it fails to get people into work, and that the system is riddled with fraud – are misconceived.

Addressing those misconceptions, Spicker assesses the real problems with the system, related to its size, its complexity, the expectation that benefits agencies should know everything, and the determination to ‘personalise’ benefits for millions of people. This stimulating short book is a valuable introduction to social security in Britain and the potential for its reform.

For more from the author on social security and social policy visit blog.spicker.uk.

Paul Spicker is Emeritus Professor of Public Policy at the Robert Gordon University and a Fellow of CROP, the International Social Science Council’s Comparative Research Programme on Poverty. His published work includes sixteen books, several shorter works and over 80 academic papers.

Understanding social security;

Misunderstanding social security;

The real problems;

How much is enough?;

Reforming key benefits;

Changing the benefits system.