Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment?

Description

The book subjects the largely hidden phenomenon of benefit sanctions in the UK to sustained examination and critique. It comprises twelve chapters dealing with the terms ‘cruel’, ‘inhuman’ and ‘degrading’ that are used as a benchmark for assessing benefit sanctions; benefit sanctions as a matter of public concern; the historical development of benefit sanctions in the UK; changes in the scope and severity of benefit sanctions; conditionality and the changing relationship between the citizen and the state; the impact and effectiveness of benefit sanctions; benefit sanctions and administrative justice; the role of law in protecting the right to a social minimum; a comparison of benefit sanctions with court fines; benefit sanctions and the rule of law; and what, if anything, can be done about benefit sanctions. Each chapter ends with a paragraph that attempts to highlight the most salient points in that chapter, and the book ends with a short conclusion in which benefit sanctions are assessed against the chosen benchmark. Front Matter ....Pages i-xii Introduction (Michael Adler)....Pages 1-7 Benefit Sanctions as a Matter of Public Concern (Michael Adler)....Pages 9-19 The Historical Development of Benefit Sanctions in the UK (Michael Adler)....Pages 21-44 Changes in the Scope, Severity and Incidence of Benefit Sanctions (Michael Adler)....Pages 45-61 Conditionality and the Changing Relationship between the Citizen and the State (Michael Adler)....Pages 63-72 The Impact and Effectiveness of Benefit Sanctions (Michael Adler)....Pages 73-86 Benefit Sanctions and Administrative Justice (Michael Adler)....Pages 87-105 The Role of Law in Protecting the Right to a Social Minimum (Michael Adler)....Pages 107-113 A Comparison of Benefit Sanctions with Court Fines (Michael Adler)....Pages 115-128 Benefit Sanctions and the Rule of Law (Michael Adler)....Pages 129-136 What, if anything, can be done about Benefit Sanctions? (Michael Adler)....Pages 137-147 Conclusion (Michael Adler)....Pages 149-151 Back Matter ....Pages 153-171