Green, Anne E., 1958- and Shuttleworth, Ian. (2010) Local differences, perceptions and Incapacity Benefit claimants : implications for policy delivery. Policy Studies, Vol.31 (No.2). pp. 223-243. ISSN 0144-2872

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

Geographical unevenness in labour market and social conditions is one reason why the ‘local’ has been emphasised increasingly in the delivery of labour market policy in the UK. This article explores the extent to which there are local differences in labour market conditions using the characteristics and experiences of Incapacity Benefit (IB) claimants in Northern Ireland as an example. It then offers some comments on the potential for policy initiatives to cope with these spatial variations. Evidence from a survey of 803 IB claimants is used, supplemented by focus group material derived from discussions with Personal Advisers (PAs). The article shows that whilst there are important variations between areas, largely in the quantity and quality of jobs, and the perceptions that IB claimants hold of their local labour markets, there are also similarities in the general types of labour market barriers they face across areas. There is some evidence, however, to conclude that these barriers in urban areas are particularly pronounced and that some IB claimants in these places face severer obstacles to re-integration in the labour market than those in rural areas. The article also suggests that policy delivery to cope with these geographical differences faces two problems. First, capacity to respond to local differences is limited by strong systemic impulses towards centralisation. Secondly, and paradoxically, local differences erode capacity to respond to severer urban problems because social/institutional capacity within providers and policy-deliverers in these places is limited by high staff turnover and a crowded institutional landscape.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Institute for Employment Research
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Welfare recipients -- Northern Ireland -- Case studies, Welfare recipients -- Employment -- Northern Ireland -- Case studies, Disability insurance -- Government policy -- Great Britain, Labor market -- Regional disparities, Employment re-entry -- Northern Ireland -- Case studies
Journal or Publication Title:	Policy Studies
Publisher:	Routledge
ISSN:	0144-2872
Date:	March 2010
Volume:	Vol.31
Number:	No.2
Page Range:	pp. 223-243
Identification Number:	10.1080/01442870903429652
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
References:	Coombes, M. and Raybould, S., 2001. Commuting in England and Wales: ‘people’ and ‘place’ factors. In: D. Pitfield, ed. Transport planning, logistics and spatial mismatch. European Research in Regional Science 11. London: Pion, 111-133. Convery, P., 2009. Welfare to work - from special measures to 80 per cent employment. Local economy, 24 (1), 1-27. Crighton, M., Turok, I., and Leleux, C., 2009. Tensions in localising welfare to work to Britain’s cities. Local economy, 24 (1), 46-67. Department for Communities and Local Government, 2009. Transforming places changing lives: taking forward the regeneration framework. London: Communities and Local Government Publications. Department for Work and Pensions, 2004. Building on New Deal: local solutions meeting individual needs. London: DWP. Department for Work and Pensions, 2008a. No one written off: reforming welfare to reform responsibility, Cm 7363. Norwich: The Stationery Office. Department for Work and Pensions, 2008b. Transforming Britain’s labour market: ten years of the new deal. London: DWP. Dorsett, R., 2008. Pathways to Work for new and repeat incapacity benefits claimants: evaluation synthesis report. Department for Work and Pensions Research Paper 525. Norwich: HMSO. Freud, D., 2007. Reducing dependency, increasing opportunity: options for the future of welfare to work. An independent report to the Department for Work and Pensions. Leeds: Corporate Document Services. Gough, J., Eisenschitz, A., and McCulloch, A., 2006. Spaces of social exclusion. Abingdon: Routledge. Green, A.E. and Hasluck, C., 2009. Action to reduce worklessness: what works? Local economy, 24 (1), 73-82. Green, A.E. and Owen, D.W., 2006. The geography of poor skills and access to work. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Green, A.E., Shuttleworth, I., and Lavery, S., 2005. Young people, job search and local labour markets: the example of Belfast. Urban studies, 42 (2), 301-324. Green, A.E. and White, R.J., 2007. Attachment to place: social networks, mobility and prospects of young people. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation. HM Treasury, Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, and Department for Communities and Local Government, 2007. Review of sub-national economic development and regeneration. Norwich: Office of Public Sector Information. HM Treasury and Department for Work and Pensions, 2001. Towards full employment: equal opportunities for all. London: HM Treasury and DWP. HM Treasury, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and Department of Trade and Industry, 2004. Devolving decision making: 2 - Meeting the regional and economic challenge: increasing regional and local flexibility. Norwich: HMSO. Houston, D. and Lindsay, C., 2010. Fit for work? Health, employability and challenges for the UK welfare reform agenda. Policy studies, 31 (2), 133-142. MacKay, R.R., 1999. Work and nonwork: a more difficult labour market. Environment and planning A, 31 (11), 1919-1934. McVicar, D., 2006. Why do disability benefit rolls vary between regions? A review of evidence from the UK and USA. Regional studies, 40 (5), 519-533. Nice, K., Irvine, A., and Sainsbury, R., 2009. Pathways to Work from incapacity benefits: a study of referral practices and liaison between Jobcentre Plus providers and service providers. Department for Work and Pensions Research Paper 555. Norwich: HMSO. Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, 2005. Northern Ireland multiple deprivation measures. Belfast: NISRA. Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, 2008. Labour force survey: 2007 local area database. Belfast: NISRA. Peck, J., 2001. Workfare states. London: Guildford Press. Peck, J. and Theodore, N., 2001. Searching for best practice in welfare-to-work: the means, the method and the message. Policy and politics, 29 (1), 81-98. Robson, B., Lymperopolou, K., and Rae, A., 2009. A typology of the functional roles of deprived neighbourhoods. London: Department for Communities and Local Government. Russell, J. and Rogers, D., 2008. Pathways to work in Northern Ireland: early results. Labour market bulletin, 21, 161-164. Sanderson, I., 2006.Worklessness in deprived neighbourhoods: a review of the evidence. London: Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, Department of Communities and Local Government. Shuttleworth, I., Green, A.E., and Lloyd, C., 2008. Incapacity benefit claimants: geography, households, decision making and welfare reform. Belfast: DELNI. Social Exclusion Unit, 2004. Jobs in deprived areas. London: Social Exclusion Unit. Sunley, P., Martin, R., and Nativel, C. 2006, Putting workfare in place: local labour markets and the new deal. RGS-IBG Book Series. Malden, MA: Blackwell. Syrett, S. and North, D., 2008. Renewing neighbourhoods: work, enterprise and governance. Bristol: Policy Press. Theodore, N., 2007. New labour at work: long-term unemployment and the geography of opportunity. Cambridge journal of economics, 31 (6), 927-939. Turok, I. and Webster, D., 1998. The new deal: jeopardised by the geography of unemployment. Local economy, 12 (4), 309-328.
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/37531

Data sourced from Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge

Request changes to a record

Actions (login required)

View Item