Pattaro, S. , Bailey, N. , Williams, E. , Gibson, M. , Wells, V. , Tranmer, M. and Dibben, C. (2022) The impacts of benefit sanctions: a scoping review of the quantitative research evidence. Journal of Social Policy, 51(3), pp. 611-653. (doi: 10.1017/S0047279421001069)
![[img]](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/style/images/fileicons/text.png) |
Text
261161.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. 901kB |
Abstract
In recent decades, the use of conditionality backed by benefit sanctions for those claiming unemployment and related benefits has become widespread in the social security systems of high-income countries. Critics argue that sanctions may be ineffective in bringing people back to employment or indeed harmful in a range of ways. Existing reviews largely assess the labour market impacts of sanctions but our understanding of the wider impacts is more limited. We report results from a scoping review of the international quantitative research evidence on both labour market and wider impacts of benefit sanctions. Following systematic search and screening, we extract data for 94 studies reporting on 253 outcome measures. We provide a narrative summary, paying attention to the ability of the studies to support causal inference. Despite variation in the evidence base and study designs, we found that labour market studies, covering two thirds of our sample, consistently reported positive impacts for employment but negative impacts for job quality and stability in the longer term, along with increased transitions to non-employment or economic inactivity. Although largely relying on non-experimental designs, wider-outcome studies reported significant associations with increased material hardship and health problems. There was also some evidence that sanctions were associated with increased child maltreatment and poorer child well-being. Lastly, the review highlights the generally poor quality of the evidence base in this area, with few studies employing research methods designed to identify the causal impact of sanctions, especially in relation to wider impacts.
| Item Type: | Articles |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | This work was supported by UK Research and Innovation Economic and Social Research Council through two separate awards: Assessing the Impact of Benefit Sanctions on Health [grant number: ES/R005729/1]; Administrative Data Research Centres 2018 [grant number: ES/S007407/1]. |
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Gibson, Dr Marcia and Pattaro, Dr Serena and Williams, Dr Evan and Tranmer, Professor Mark and Bailey, Professor Nick and Wells, Ms Valerie |
| Authors: | Pattaro, S., Bailey, N., Williams, E., Gibson, M., Wells, V., Tranmer, M., and Dibben, C. |
| College/School: | College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > MRC/CSO SPHSU College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Sociology Anthropology and Applied Social Sciences College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies |
| Journal Name: | Journal of Social Policy |
| Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
| ISSN: | 0047-2794 |
| ISSN (Online): | 1469-7823 |
| Published Online: | 14 February 2022 |
| Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2022 The Authors |
| First Published: | First published in Journal of Social Policy 51(3): 611-653 |
| Publisher Policy: | Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence |
| Related URLs: |
University Staff: Request a correction | Enlighten Editors: Update this record
Altmetric
Altmetric