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Heads in the Sand: the Absence of Employers in New Developments in UK Active Labour Market Policy
Author(s) -
Jones Katy
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
the political quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.373
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1467-923X
pISSN - 0032-3179
DOI - 10.1111/1467-923x.13130
Subject(s) - conditionality , scope (computer science) , work (physics) , plaintiff , welfare , labour economics , incentive , social security , economics , social policy , payment , welfare state , state (computer science) , business , market economy , political science , finance , law , politics , mechanical engineering , algorithm , computer science , programming language , engineering
Recent welfare reforms in the United Kingdom have redrawn the parameters of active labour market policy in a way that brings the employers' role to the fore. Universal Credit—the new benefit for working age social security recipients—is both an in‐ and out‐of‐work benefit. Significantly, and without international precedent, this brings workers on a low income within the scope of the Department for Work and Pensions' conditionality regime (in‐work financial support was formerly provided through tax credits, without behavioural conditions). While conditions are applied to claimants, employer responses to this new policy terrain will be central to their outcomes as a new tripartite relationship between claimant, employer and the state emerges. However, employers and their views on these new expectations have been notably absent from both research and policy debates. This article reflects on why this is the case and why this is a problem for the development of effective in‐work support.