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Benefit sanctions, social citizenship and the economy

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  • David Webster

Abstract

Throughout the history of National Insurance in the UK, there has been relatively little emphasis on benefit conditions or sanctions (previously called disqualifications). The relevant academic literature has been correspondingly thin. But over the past three decades there has been a dramatic shift to increased conditionality in social security, accompanied by increased harshness in the penalties. This has started to spawn a substantial new literature. This review article considers three significant recent publications. Although written from different perspectives, they all conclude that the current UK sanctions system cannot be justified. The review article argues that more attention needs to be paid to the flaws in the economic case for conditionality. It concludes that effective reform of the system depends on a reassertion of the concepts of social citizenship which underlay the development of National Insurance in the 20th century.

Suggested Citation

  • David Webster, 2019. "Benefit sanctions, social citizenship and the economy," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 34(3), pages 316-326, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:loceco:v:34:y:2019:i:3:p:316-326
    DOI: 10.1177/0269094219852336
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Patrick Arni & Rafael Lalive & Jan C. Van Ours, 2013. "How Effective Are Unemployment Benefit Sanctions? Looking Beyond Unemployment Exit," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(7), pages 1153-1178, November.
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    6. Raj Chetty, 2008. "Moral Hazard versus Liquidity and Optimal Unemployment Insurance," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 116(2), pages 173-234, April.
    7. David Webster, 2005. "Long-term unemployment, the invention of 'hysteresis' and the misdiagnosis of structural unemployment in the UK," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 29(6), pages 975-995, November.
    8. Raj Chetty, 2008. "Moral Hazard versus Liquidity and Optimal Unemployment Insurance," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 116(2), pages 173-234, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Emilio Abad-Segura & Ana Batlles de la Fuente & Mariana-Daniela González-Zamar & Luis Jesús Belmonte-Ureña, 2020. "Effects of Circular Economy Policies on the Environment and Sustainable Growth: Worldwide Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-27, July.

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