No-one left behind: Supporting people with complex needs on universal credit

Article

For the UK social security system to provide an effective social safety net, it must work for everyone.

Navigating the benefits system and the bureaucracy within it can be demanding for those who rely on it. It is not simply a case of ‘signing on’ and receiving a payment; there are significant strings attached.

The conditions claimants must meet are supposed to be tailored to the circumstances of the individual. In making decisions, work coaches and other decision-makers are required to exercise discretion: working within the guidance, but ultimately applying their own judgement about what is an appropriate course of action given the circumstances of the person in front of them.

This paper examines the role of discretion as exercised by work coaches at Jobcentre Pluses in the experience of people claiming universal credit who are out of work. It forms part of IPPR’s research programme exploring the future of the UK welfare state.

Related items

  1. Street scene in financial district, London

    Rule of the market: How to lower UK borrowing costs

    The UK is paying a premium on its borrowing costs that ‘economic fundamentals’, such as the sustainability of its public finances, cannot fully explain. 
  2. A mother and child from behind looking out of a window

    Restoring security: Understanding the effects of removing the two-child limit across the UK

    The government’s decision to lift the two-child limit marks one of the most significant changes to the social security system in a decade.
  3. A group of healthcare professionals sitting in a staff common room in a hospital in Newcastle

    Building a healthier, wealthier Britain: Launching the IPPR Centre for Health and Prosperity

    Following the success of our Commission on Health and Prosperity, IPPR is excited to launch the Centre for Health and Prosperity.