Description
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Law in a Complex State: Complexity in the Law and Structure of Welfare by Neville Harris
Approximately half the UK population is in receipt of one or more welfare benefits making welfare the largest single item of government expenditure. The law and structures of social security are highly complex made more so by governments constantly adjusting their often conflicting economic political and social policy objectives. This complexity is highly problematic: it contributes to errors in decision-making and increased administrative costs; moreover it is seen as disempowering for citizens and weakens enjoyment of a key social right. Current and previous administrations have therefore committed to simplifying the benefits system. This was an explicit motivation for the introduction of Universal Credit in place of diverse benefits via the Welfare Reform Act 2012 although it is not clear that the reformed system will be less complex or any easier to access. The book seeks to explain how and why complexity in modern welfare systems has grown; identify the different ways in which legal and administrative arrangements are classifiable as complex; discuss the effects of complexity on the systems administration and its wider implications for rights and the citizen-state relationship; and consider the role that law can play in the simplification of schemes of welfare. It makes reference not only to the UK welfare system but also relevant policies and experience in various other states.