'For whose benefit?' explores how those at the sharp end of welfare reform experience changes to the benefit system. It looks at how the rights and responsibilities of citizenship are experienced on the ground, and whether the welfare state still offers meaningful protection and security to those who rely upon it.

Foreword ~ Baroness Ruth Lister Introduction: Beyond Benefits Street - exploring experiences and narratives of welfare reform; Social citizenship from above; The emergence of a framing consensus on ‘welfare’; The everyday realities of out-of-work benefit receipt; Is welfare-to-work working? Relationships with work over time; Ending welfare dependency? Experiencing welfare reform; Scroungerphobia: living with the stigma of benefits; Diverse trajectories between 2011 and 2016 Conclusion: social insecurity and ‘welfare’

"[has a] deep understanding of the problems facing our social security system" Citizen's Income Trust "We hear plenty about benefit claimants but it's rare to hear from them. This important book starts with their perspective. It demonstrates - partly through their words - the damage social security reforms have done to people on low-incomes over time. Sadly there is more damage to come in the next few years when a range of further cuts and changes take effect or bite down harder. Anyone concerned that we should have a social security system that is fair - and that works for people rather than against them - will find the testimonies and the analysis here invaluable." Jane Ahrends, Child Poverty Action Group "Offers much needed analysis of the experiences of those at the sharp end of welfare reform in the UK. The human costs and negative consequences of an increasingly austere and conditional social security system are clearly set out and considered. This thought provoking book should be widely read by all." Peter Dwyer, University of York "A compelling, timely and important account of everyday life for those most affected by austerity policy. Essential reading." Jane Millar, University of Bath "The demoralising insecurity of claiming and being on benefits is starkly revealed in a penetrating analysis of people's own accounts over time." Adrian Sinfield, University of Edinburgh

Publishing rationale • A solid B1 from an up and coming author who has significant support from a range of key social policy senior academics. She is just about to move to a new job at Liverpool University. • Author created the Dole Animators project www.doleantimators.org that gained wide coverage (and this book will link to it) and is a columnist for Disability Now. She has a good track record in getting coverage (her interim findings were in the Guardian, Independent, LSE Politics blog and Thinking Allowed). • Builds on work Hills, O’Hara, Shildrick et al, Daly and Garthwaite to provide on the ground evidence and testimony of the effects on the lives of those living through the welfare reforms and benefit cuts. The 3 refs say “this stands out as a rigorous and closely observed”; “a significant contribution”; “original and important contribution”. • Uniqueness of this research as that it draws on in-depth repeat interviews and uses that to look at the concept of citizenship. • Will be very topical if comes out at the time of the next round of welfare ‘reforms’ in April 17 and author will undertake blogs, place pieces in the Broadsheets and Thinking Allowed etc Unique selling point: Repeat interviews over time with a diverse range of individuals all directly affected by welfare reform is used to explore the mismatch of how ‘social citizenship’ is conceptualised from above, and how it is lived and experienced from below.