Papers by Adrian Sinfield
Social Policy and Society, Mar 31, 2020
The article reviews the limited existing social policy literature on taxation and sets out a case... more The article reviews the limited existing social policy literature on taxation and sets out a case for the incorporation of the study of taxation into the accepted remit of social policy. Social policy has historically been concerned with the services and benefits which flow from public expenditure, and people’s experiences of them, rather than with taxation, and the contributions by individual researchers have tended to remain marginal to the main focus of social policy. The article offers a speculative account as to why taxation has remained peripheral to social policy and presents three arguments for the mainstreaming of tax in social policy’s domain of study. These concern the role of taxation in shaping the distribution of resources, a fundamental pre-occupation of social policy; the contribution social policy scholars can make to shaping a new discourse surrounding taxation, foregrounding issues of equity and need; and how social policy’s engagement with taxation can influence the politics of the welfare state.
Journal of Social Policy, 1999
Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, Mar 1, 1998
(1995) Research initiative; supporting parents: how can support be rnobilised to promote better p... more (1995) Research initiative; supporting parents: how can support be rnobilised to promote better parenting? HMSO, London. Townsend, D. (1995). Time for a little bit of hush. Community Care,
European Journal of Social Security, Mar 1, 2007
Preventive policies have to be an integral part of any strategy to bring about a signifi cant and... more Preventive policies have to be an integral part of any strategy to bring about a signifi cant and lasting reduction in poverty. Of course, lift ing people out of poverty is also essential, but this can only be a part of the plan. Preventing poverty in the fi rst place and then preventing its recurrence must form a clear and specifi c part of the strategy. Th is article begins by examining prevention within the anti-poverty strategies promoted by the European Commission through the objectives set out in its Reports on Social Inclusion. It also considers preventive measures presented in countries' National Action Plans on Social Inclusion and the Commission's responses to these. Th e second part of the article discusses why prevention has been given less priority than the Commission's specifi c objectives would seem to require. Th e paper concludes with an exploration of the issue of poverty prevention at a broader, structural level and suggests key elements for such a strategy. Preventing poverty requires more attention to the underlying causes of poverty and the wider, structural factors that help to perpetuate it if a successful attack on the problem is to be sustained over time. Th is includes better linking of social and economic policy and closer attention to the ways in which widening and persistent inequalities handicap anti-poverty policies and undermine government eff ort-especially when they are combined with declining mobility.
Policy Press eBooks, May 31, 2023
Policy Press eBooks, May 31, 2023
Policy Press eBooks, May 31, 2023
Bristol University Press eBooks, Aug 30, 2018
Social Policy and Society, Jun 4, 2020
M i c h e á l L C o l l i n s ∗ , S a l l y R u a n e ∗ ∗ a n d A d r i a n S i n fi e l d ∗ ∗ ∗ ... more M i c h e á l L C o l l i n s ∗ , S a l l y R u a n e ∗ ∗ a n d A d r i a n S i n fi e l d ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, University College Dublin E-mail: [email protected] ∗∗School of Applied Social Sciences, De Montfort University, Leicester E-mail: [email protected] ∗∗∗School of Social and Political Science, Edinburgh University E-mail: Adrian. [email protected]
Revue internationale de sécurité sociale, Oct 1, 2012
Sécurité sociale et prévention Ce numéro spécial porte sur la prévention. Depuis quelques années,... more Sécurité sociale et prévention Ce numéro spécial porte sur la prévention. Depuis quelques années, l ' Association internationale de la sécurité sociale (AISS) redouble d ' efforts pour placer la culture de la prévention au coeur de la planifi cation de la sécurité sociale, en l ' intégrant notamment à son cadre stratégique, une sécurité sociale dynamique, aux côtés des objectifs mieux reconnus que sont la protection des revenus et la réinsertion (McKinnon, 2007 et 2010). «La prévention ou la diminution des risques, lorsque c ' est possible, constituent le meilleur moyen de fournir une sécurité sociale», affi rme le groupe de travail de l ' Organisation internationale du Travail présidé par Pierre Laroque (BIT, 1984 , para. 41). Dans son rapport intitulé Into the twenty-fi rst century: The development of social security , il défi nit à la fois le concept et les objectifs de la sécurité sociale. «La sécurité sociale poursuit un but plus large que la prévention ou l ' atténuation de la pauvreté. Elle répond à une aspiration à la sécurité, au sens le plus large du terme. Son objectif fondamental est de garantir aux personnes et aux familles, dans la mesure du possible, que leur niveau et leur qualité de vie ne se dégraderont pas fortement en raison d ' éventuels événements sociaux ou économiques» (BIT, 1984 , para. 39). Ce «but plus large» attribue un rôle particulier à la prévention. «Cela ne signifi e pas uniquement répondre aux besoins au moment où ils apparaissent, mais aussi prévenir les risques et aider les personnes et les familles à s ' adapter le mieux possible si elles sont confrontées à des incapacités ou à des diffi cultés qui n ' ont pas été évitées, ou n ' ont pas pu l ' être. C ' est le fait que cette sécurité soit garantie qui s ' avère le plus important, bien davantage que les différents mécanismes qui permettent de la mettre en place» (BIT, 1984 , para. 39). La prévention peut recouvrir de nombreuses activités-empêcher quelque chose de se produire, de continuer, de s ' aggraver, de se reproduire, de se propager et d ' avoir des conséquences plus lourdes, de devenir endémique. Ce sur quoi porte la prévention peut également varier fortement-l ' insécurité sociale et économique, le chômage, la maladie, les accidents, les décès, la dépendance envers les prestations, ou l ' addiction aux médicaments, par exemple. Elle peut se traduire par des mesures et porter les prestations à des niveaux différents: structurel, local ou individuel (Mills, 1993 ; Rose, 1992). Cependant, bien qu ' elle soit indispensable, la prévention demeure reléguée au second plan (McKinnon, 2007 et 2010). «Tout le monde s ' accorde à dire qu ' il vaut mieux prévenir que guérir, mais rares sont ceux qui agissent comme s ' ils en étaient convaincus» (Mackintosh, 1953 , p. 5). Vieux de quatre siècles, ce proverbe peut tout à fait s ' appliquer à la sécurité sociale d ' aujourd ' hui, même si l ' auteur l ' employait ici au sujet des politiques de santé menées par le Royaume-Uni pendant la première
Revista internacional de seguridad social, Oct 1, 2012
Fortalecimiento de la prevención en la inseguridad social
International Social Security Review, Oct 1, 2012
Prevention is the theme of this special issue. In recent years, the International Social Security... more Prevention is the theme of this special issue. In recent years, the International Social Security Association (ISSA) has steadily increased its efforts to establish a culture of prevention at the centre of social security planning, in particular by building it prominently into its strategic framework, Dynamic Social Security, alongside the better recognized goals of income protection and rehabilitation (McKinnon, 2007 and 2010). "The prevention or reduction of risk, where this is possible, is the better way of providing [social] security" argued the International Labour Organization (ILO) study group chaired by Pierre Laroque (ILO, 1984, para. 41). In their report, Into the 21st century: The development of social security, the study group defined both the concept of social security and its objectives broadly. "Social security has wider aims than the prevention or relief of poverty. It is the response to an aspiration for security in its widest sense. Its fundamental purpose is to give individuals and families the confidence that their level of living and quality of life will not, in so far as is possible, be greatly eroded by any social or economic eventuality" (ILO, 1984, para. 39). The "wider aims" gave a specific role to prevention: "This involves not just meeting needs as and when they arise but also preventing risks from arising in the first place, and helping individuals and families to make the best possible adjustment when faced with disabilities and disadvantages which have not been or could not be prevented.. .. It is the guarantee of security that matters most of all, rather than the particular mechanisms. .. by which that guarantee is given" (ILO, 1984, para. 39). Prevention can cover a range of activities-preventing something happening, continuing, getting worse, recurring, spreading and having a wider impact, becoming endemic. What is to be prevented can also vary greatly-for example, social and economic insecurity, unemployment, illness, disease, accident, death, benefit dependency or drug dependency. It may involve action and bring benefits at one or more levels: structural, local and individual (Mills, 1993; Rose, 1992). However essential, prevention keeps slipping off the agenda (McKinnon, 2007 and 2010). "Everyone says that prevention is better than cure, and hardly anyone acts as if he believes it" (Mackintosh, 1953, p. 5). This use of a proverb, at least four centuries old, fits social security today particularly aptly, even if it was originally a reflection on United Kingdom health policies in the first half of the twentieth century. "Palliatives nearly always take precedence over prevention, and our services today are too heavily loaded with salvage. Treatment-the attempt to heal the sick-is more tangible, more exciting, and more immediately rewarding, than bs_bs_banner 3
Routledge eBooks, Feb 17, 2015
European Journal of Social Security, Jun 1, 2000
The significance of the tax system in assisting the development and expansion of non-state pensio... more The significance of the tax system in assisting the development and expansion of non-state pensions has received very little attention at a time when concern has been generally increasing over the costs of public social security programmes, and particularly their pension systems. However, the limited evidence available indicates that the amount of tax revenue foregone in promoting this particular form of saving can be considerable. The distributive implications of the various tax reliefs also tend to be neglected, even though they play an important part in reinforcing inequalities in old age. This article seeks to explore the published information on the nature and scale of fiscal privilege for non-state pensions across countries and examines the way in which one country, the United Kingdom, estimates the costs of these tax benefits. Examination of the detailed evidence raises questions about the workings of these tax benefits in terms of equity and privilege, of cost and value for money. It supports the case for the development of more visible and publicly accountable estimates of these tax benefits, comparable across countries (as with public expenditure), as well as the better integration of tax and public spending in meeting needs during retirement.
Policy Press eBooks, Oct 12, 2005
Policy Press eBooks, Jul 4, 2018
The tax reliefs and related subsidies of fiscal welfare contribute significantly but virtually in... more The tax reliefs and related subsidies of fiscal welfare contribute significantly but virtually invisibly to maintaining and reinforcing inequality. This chapter examines their support to occupational and personal pensions, the largest area of social spending through the tax and National Insurance systems. The benefits go to less than half the working-age population and disproportionately to those paying higher rates of tax, their employers and the pensions industry. It is a major example of ‘means-enhancing’ redistribution as opposed to the means-testing of much welfare state provision. The particular and considerable value of National Insurance exemptions deserves far more attention than government or independent analysts have given it. Official statistics need to integrate fiscal with public spending and include the impact of fiscal welfare in their distributional analyses. Democratic policymaking needs to take account of it in tackling and reducing inequality across the whole society.
Policy Press eBooks, Jun 15, 2011
Higher Education Quarterly, Dec 1, 1979
'Two million jobless report hushed-up' was The Observer's main headline on 17 June, announcing th... more 'Two million jobless report hushed-up' was The Observer's main headline on 17 June, announcing that the Treasury's own detailed forecasts for employment and unemployment had not yet reached the Department of Employment. While the Chief Secretary to the Treasury denied a policy of 'discipline through the dole queue', 'Ministers are bracing themselves for large-scale bankruptcies and even heavier unemployment than the forecasts show' and telling 'officials. .. to shy away from any mention' of the predictions.
Routledge eBooks, Sep 25, 2019
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Papers by Adrian Sinfield