Understanding Social Security
Issues for Policy and Practice
Edited by Jane Millar and Roy Sainsbury
Published
Apr 30, 2018Page count
280 pagesEdition
3rd EditionBrowse the series
Understanding Welfare: Social Issues, Policy and PracticeISBN
978-1447339472Dimensions
240 x 172 mmImprint
Policy PressPublished
Apr 30, 2018Page count
280 pagesEdition
3rd EditionBrowse the series
Understanding Welfare: Social Issues, Policy and PracticeISBN
978-1447339496Imprint
Policy PressPublished
Apr 30, 2018Page count
280 pagesEdition
3rd EditionBrowse the series
Understanding Welfare: Social Issues, Policy and PracticeISBN
978-1447339502Imprint
Policy Press
Understanding Social Security
The political and economic landscape of UK social security provision has changed significantly since the 2008 financial crisis. This fully revised, restructured and updated 3rd edition of a go-to text book covers all the key policy changes and their implications since the elections of 2010 and 2015.
With contributions from leading academics in the field this book critically examines the design, entitlement, delivery and impact of current welfare provision. The first half of the book examines social security across the lifecycle from Child Benefit to retirement pensions. The second half focuses on key issues in policy and practice including new topics such as the realities of life on benefits in an era of austerity, and the pros and cons of Universal Basic Income.
•Framework supports teachers and students, encouraging analytical thinking of issues and providing pointers to related sources
•Authoritative and evidence-based arguments
•Clear section and chapter summaries, overviews, questions for discussion, website resources and a bibliography
•Includes tables, charts and text boxes for clarity, interest and appeal
This book is suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students of Social Policy taking modules on Social Security Policy, Poverty and Inequality, Income Support and Welfare Reform, as well as Social Work students and those on other Social Science degree programmes.
“The book’s chapters are a reliable guide to the current state of social security and to the challenges that the system faces. Quite sensibly they [the editors] decide not to predict what changes will have occurred by the time a fourth edition of their most useful book is written in a few years’ time.” Citizen’s Income
"This is an excellent book with clear explanations of policy aims and the evidence and arguments surrounding various welfare benefits and their administration. It covers a huge breadth of issues and adopts a coherent thematic approach." Neville Harris, University of Manchester
"An indispensable, up-to-date guide to the UK social security system written by the country’s leading experts in a clear and engaging style." Karen Rowlingson, University of Birmingham
"A godsend of a book! It guides the student through the maze that is welfare reform. I would not hesitate to recommend it." Dr. Lavinia Mitton, University of Kent
“Fully updated to reflect a rapidly changing policy landscape, this engaging volume by a stellar cast provides a valuable overview of social security in the UK. Combining policy discussion with empirical evidence, including insights from qualitative research, it will prove an essential resource for students.” Dr Kitty Stewart, London School of Economics and Political Science
Jane Millar is a Professor at the Institute for Policy Research, University of Bath. She studied social psychology at the University of Sussex and worked in health and social care before returning to academic study to focus on social security policy. Jane was awarded an OBE in 2001 for 'services to social policy research and teaching'.
Roy Sainsbury is a Professor at the University of York. He became the Director of SPRU in June 2014. He also leads the research group working on projects related to social security, employment and welfare. His research interests include: welfare to work; sickness and disability benefits; social security fraud; and decision making and appeals.
Social security: the landscape ~ Jane Millar & Roy Sainsbury;
Part One: People and policies across the life course;
Social security support for children ~ Tess Ridge;
Social security and work obligations ~ Jane Millar;
Disabled people and carers ~ Roy Sainsbury;
Protecting pensioners ~ Steve McKay;
Gender and Social Security ~ Fran Bennett;
Social security and the ‘management’ of migration ~ Emma Carmel & Boźena Sojka;
Part Two: Issues in policy and practice;
Social security in global context ~ Nicola Yeates;
Who benefits and who pays? ~ Kevin Farnsworth & Zoë Irving;
Public Attitudes to ‘Welfare’ ~ John Hudson;
Everyday life on benefits ~ Ruth Patrick, Margaret Mbaikaize and Sue Watson;
Jobcentres and the delivery of employment services and benefits ~ Dan Finn;
Making It Simple? Universal Basic Income ~ Luke Martinelli;
Facing the future: where next for social security? ~ Roy Sainsbury & Jane Millar.
