Navigating pandemic social security : benefits, employment and crisis support during COVID-19

Edmiston, D; Robertshaw, D; Gibbons, AR; Ingold, J; Baumberg Geiger, B; Scullion, LC; Summers, K; Young, D

Abstract

An expanding range of external actors and organisations have come to mediate the relationship between benefit claimants and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Reflecting on the important role benefits, crisis and employment support play in the lives of claimants, this report looks at two dimensions of navigating social security in the UK today. The first section of this report draws on a large representative survey of working-age benefit claimants (i.e. aged 18–64) to establish the extent to which people access support when making a claim for benefits and how this differs according to key claimant characteristics. The second section of this report explores how COVID-19 has affected the coverage and quality of support that many benefit claimants rely on through case studies of four local areas (Leeds, Newham, Salford and Thanet). Here, we draw on qualitative interviews with 32 local support organisations and meetings with 13 national informants representing key stakeholder groups and service delivery organisations.

Citation

Edmiston, D., Robertshaw, D., Gibbons, A., Ingold, J., Baumberg Geiger, B., Scullion, L., …Young, D. (2021). Navigating pandemic social security : benefits, employment and crisis support during COVID-19

• Report Type: Project Report
• Online Publication Date: Feb 1, 2021
• Publication Date: Feb 1, 2021
• Deposit Date: Oct 11, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 11, 2021
• Series Title: Welfare at a (Social) Distance
• ISBN: 9781912337415
• Publisher URL: https://9ec499a2-11fd-40f9-999e-efa4a5fbe856.filesusr.com/ugd/e77e1a_dcbc771bd95e4664924c9cc0adf062e6.pdf
• Related Public URLs: https://www.distantwelfare.co.uk/
• Additional Information: Projects : Welfare at a (Social) Distance: Accessing social security and employment support during the COVID-19 crisis and its aftermath