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Poor citizens: social security law and the unemployed 1979-2012

Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis

Abstract

The rights-based principle of entitlement to social security as an inherent feature of social citizenship has been weakened by the welfare reforms asserted by each successive government administration since 1979. Rather than seek to ensure the efficient distribution of benefit, which can provide a minimum standard of economic security, the social security system seeks to shape the behaviour and conduct of those who are out of work. The contemporary system of entitlement seeks to condition claimants to participate in the paid labour market by prioritising the classic liberal doctrines of individual responsibility and obligation. This thesis addresses the manifestation of this trajectory through an examination of the politico-legal context which has underpinned the assent of social security legislation from 1979 – 2012 through the synthesis of a rich collection of primary and secondary sources. It provides an important account of the parliamentary negotiation process which precedes the passing of social security law and as such provides a critical and original insight into the intersection between politics and the law.
Date of AwardApr 2019
Original languageEnglish
SponsorsDEL
SupervisorGrainne McKeever (Supervisor) & Eugene McNamee (Supervisor)

Keywords

  • social security
  • unemployment law

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