Understanding Social Security: Issues for Policy and Practice

Social security is the largest single area of government expenditure in the UK, affecting the incomes, living standards and life chances of millions of people. Over the past two decades or more, the ‘welfare reform’ agenda has contested the fundamental purposes of social security and re-shaped the system in many significant ways. This book critically examines current provision in terms of design, entitlement, delivery and impact, and it considers alternative perspectives, including from overseas.