What's wrong with social security benefits?

Spicker, Paul

Abstract

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. This example chapter is a post-peer review, pre-copyedited version of text excerpted of chapter 3 - The real problems.

Citation

SPICKER, P. 2017. What's wrong with social security benefits? Bristol: Policy Press [online]. Available from: https://policypress.co.uk/whats-wrong-with-social-security-benefits

• Book Type: Monograph
• Online Publication Date: Feb 22, 2017
• Publication Date: Feb 22, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 25, 2021
• Publisher: Policy Press
• Book Title: What's wrong with social security benefits?
• ISBN: 9781447337324
• Keywords: Social security; Benefits; Benefit system
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/247460
• Publisher URL: https://policypress.co.uk/whats-wrong-with-social-security-benefits