Policy Press
Six Exploring the impact of welfare conditionality on Roma migrants in the UK
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Abstract
The arrival of large numbers of Central and Eastern European migrants to the UK has been met with political and public debate around the perceived impacts on indigenous labour market opportunities coupled with fears about the demands placed on the welfare system. Within this broader migration, the arrival of Roma has triggered particularly prejudicial reactions. However, little is known about how Roma experience the social security system within the UK, particularly within a situation of increasingly conditional rights for European migrants. This chapter begins by highlighting some of the pervasive narratives in relation to Roma that focus on their supposed disproportionate representation within benefits systems and the subsequent responses of Member States to such (mis)representations. Drawing upon interviews with Roma migrants claiming social security benefits in the UK, the chapter then provides insights into how they respond to the conditionality inherent within the UK social security system. The chapter highlights that, contrary to pervasive narratives, claiming benefits appears to be a last resort after multiple job search attempts. Furthermore, welfare conditionality has the potential to lead Roma to disengage with the benefits system altogether and seek informal employment in order to meet their basic needs.
Abstract
The arrival of large numbers of Central and Eastern European migrants to the UK has been met with political and public debate around the perceived impacts on indigenous labour market opportunities coupled with fears about the demands placed on the welfare system. Within this broader migration, the arrival of Roma has triggered particularly prejudicial reactions. However, little is known about how Roma experience the social security system within the UK, particularly within a situation of increasingly conditional rights for European migrants. This chapter begins by highlighting some of the pervasive narratives in relation to Roma that focus on their supposed disproportionate representation within benefits systems and the subsequent responses of Member States to such (mis)representations. Drawing upon interviews with Roma migrants claiming social security benefits in the UK, the chapter then provides insights into how they respond to the conditionality inherent within the UK social security system. The chapter highlights that, contrary to pervasive narratives, claiming benefits appears to be a last resort after multiple job search attempts. Furthermore, welfare conditionality has the potential to lead Roma to disengage with the benefits system altogether and seek informal employment in order to meet their basic needs.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of abbreviations iv
- Notes on contributors v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Editor’s introduction 1
- Supporting people? Universal Credit, conditionality and the recalibration of vulnerability 15
- Punishment, powerlessness and bounded agency: exploring the role of welfare conditionality with ‘at risk’ women attempting to live ‘a good life’ 41
- Resisting welfare conditionality: constraint, choice and dissent among homeless migrants 69
- No strings attached? An exploration of employment support services offered by third sector homelessness organisations 91
- Exploring the impact of welfare conditionality on Roma migrants in the UK 119
- Exploring the behavioural outcomes of family-based intensive interventions 149
- Editor’s afterword 175
- Index 181
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of abbreviations iv
- Notes on contributors v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Editor’s introduction 1
- Supporting people? Universal Credit, conditionality and the recalibration of vulnerability 15
- Punishment, powerlessness and bounded agency: exploring the role of welfare conditionality with ‘at risk’ women attempting to live ‘a good life’ 41
- Resisting welfare conditionality: constraint, choice and dissent among homeless migrants 69
- No strings attached? An exploration of employment support services offered by third sector homelessness organisations 91
- Exploring the impact of welfare conditionality on Roma migrants in the UK 119
- Exploring the behavioural outcomes of family-based intensive interventions 149
- Editor’s afterword 175
- Index 181
