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Seven Welfare to work after the recession: from the New Deals to the Work Programme

  • Dan Finn
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Social Policy Review 23
This chapter is in the book Social Policy Review 23

Abstract

This chapter examines the welfare to work policies of the Coalition government, noting both continuities and changes with those of New Labour. It observes that while the principles of activation pursued by New Labour governments have been retained by the Coalition, the latter’s distinctive policies have involved the proposed transformation of all working age benefits into a ‘Universal Credit’ and the introduction of a single ‘Work Programme’, under which the scale and pace of the outsourcing of job placement services to private contractors will be increased. It argues that New Labour’s activation policies achieved relative success, during a period of economic growth, in reducing unemployment and poverty, and that together with economic stimulus and other measures introduced during the recession they were able to mitigate the rise in unemployment when compared to previous recessions.

Abstract

This chapter examines the welfare to work policies of the Coalition government, noting both continuities and changes with those of New Labour. It observes that while the principles of activation pursued by New Labour governments have been retained by the Coalition, the latter’s distinctive policies have involved the proposed transformation of all working age benefits into a ‘Universal Credit’ and the introduction of a single ‘Work Programme’, under which the scale and pace of the outsourcing of job placement services to private contractors will be increased. It argues that New Labour’s activation policies achieved relative success, during a period of economic growth, in reducing unemployment and poverty, and that together with economic stimulus and other measures introduced during the recession they were able to mitigate the rise in unemployment when compared to previous recessions.

Chapters in this book

  1. Front Matter i
  2. Contents iii
  3. Notes on contributors v
  4. Symposium on the Coalition government
  5. Conservative social policy: from conviction to coalition 7
  6. Something old and blue, or red, bold and new? Welfare reform and the Coalition government 25
  7. The Conservative Party and the ‘Big Society’ 45
  8. The age of responsibility: social policy and citizenship in the early 21st century 63
  9. Debating the ‘death tax’: the politics of inheritance tax in the UK 85
  10. The debate about public service occupational pension reform 103
  11. Welfare to work after the recession: from the New Deals to the Work Programme 127
  12. Lone parents and the Conservatives: anything new? 147
  13. A treble blow? Child poverty in 2010 and beyond 165
  14. The English NHS as a market: challenges for the Coalition government 185
  15. Education in international context
  16. Citizenship education in international perspective: lessons from the UK and overseas 211
  17. “You’re only going to get it if you really shout for it”: education dispute resolution in the 21st century in England 233
  18. A sin of omission: New Zealand’s export education industry and foreign policy 257
  19. Student security in the global education market 281
  20. Exporting policy: the growth of multinational education policy businesses and new policy ‘assemblages’ 303
  21. Index 323
https://doi.org/10.56687/9781847429094-008

Chapters in this book

  1. Front Matter i
  2. Contents iii
  3. Notes on contributors v
  4. Symposium on the Coalition government
  5. Conservative social policy: from conviction to coalition 7
  6. Something old and blue, or red, bold and new? Welfare reform and the Coalition government 25
  7. The Conservative Party and the ‘Big Society’ 45
  8. The age of responsibility: social policy and citizenship in the early 21st century 63
  9. Debating the ‘death tax’: the politics of inheritance tax in the UK 85
  10. The debate about public service occupational pension reform 103
  11. Welfare to work after the recession: from the New Deals to the Work Programme 127
  12. Lone parents and the Conservatives: anything new? 147
  13. A treble blow? Child poverty in 2010 and beyond 165
  14. The English NHS as a market: challenges for the Coalition government 185
  15. Education in international context
  16. Citizenship education in international perspective: lessons from the UK and overseas 211
  17. “You’re only going to get it if you really shout for it”: education dispute resolution in the 21st century in England 233
  18. A sin of omission: New Zealand’s export education industry and foreign policy 257
  19. Student security in the global education market 281
  20. Exporting policy: the growth of multinational education policy businesses and new policy ‘assemblages’ 303
  21. Index 323
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