scholarly journals Sacrificial citizens? Activation and retrenchment in Ireland’s political economy

2021 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-65
Author(s):  
Fiona Dukelow
Keyword(s):  
Social Protection ◽  
Protection System ◽  
Critical Commentary ◽  
The Social ◽  
Working Age ◽  
Activation Policy ◽  
The 2008 Financial Crisis ◽  
Open Question ◽  
The Unemployed ◽  
Work First

Abstract This article provides a critical commentary on Irish activation policy. It is framed with reference to the point made in Pathways to Work 2016–2020 that a key purpose of activation is ‘to help ensure a supply of labour at competitive rates’. It looks at how a tougher work-first activation regime can be situated within the wider landscape of reform and retrenchment in the social protection system following the 2008 financial crisis. Broadly utilising Pierson’s concepts of programmatic and systemic retrenchment, it situates the roll-out of activation within shifts toward greater reliance on means-tested benefits for the unemployed, and toward work first, with varying degrees of compulsion, for other working-age adults in the social protection system. Suggesting that this results in a hierarchy of ‘welfare sacrifice’ for the sake of the competitiveness of the Irish economy, it also looks briefly at how some of these ‘sacrifices’ are experienced by different groups both in and out of the labour market. The article concludes by noting that the Covid-19 pandemic has temporarily transformed state–market relations such as these; however, whether this offers the opportunity to forge a more supportive turn in activation policy post-pandemic remains an open question.

scholarly journals Social Protection and New Forms of Work: Expansion of Unemployment Insurance Benefits’ Coverage in Estonia

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-72
Author(s):  
Gaabriel Tavits
Keyword(s):  
Unemployment Insurance ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Protection System ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Pension Insurance ◽  
The Social ◽  
Protection Systems ◽  
New Forms Of Work ◽  
The Unemployed ◽  
Social Protection Systems

Ensuring social protection for people having lost their jobs is an important part of the social protection system. Although health insurance and pension insurance have traditionally been the most important social protection systems, then social guarantees (both passive and active measures) for the unemployed cannot be underestimated in the changed forms of employment. New forms of work necessitate attention to whether and how people working under new forms of employment, e.g. platform workers, can register as unemployed and whether short-term employment may worsen their standing compared to other unemployed. This article analyses the Estonian social protection system for the unemployed and the planned changes in connection with platform work.

scholarly journals Renta básica y Constitución en el Estado Social alemán (De la renta básica universal a la renta básica colectiva)

2019 ◽  
pp. 201-242
Author(s):  
Janire MIMENTZA MARTIN
Keyword(s):  
Social Security ◽  
Social Reform ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Security System ◽  
Protection System ◽  
Basic Income ◽  
Subsistence Level ◽  
The Social ◽  
Welfare Systems ◽  
Precarious Jobs

LABURPENA: Gaur egun, enplegu prekarioek ez dute gutxieneko bizitza ziurtatzen, eta etorkizunerako «lana amaitzea» aurreikusten da. Gainera, ongizate sistemen akatsen eta mugen aurrean, beharrezkoa da gizarte-babeserako sistema berraztertzea: oinarrizko errenta unibertsala aukera popularrena dela dirudi. Oinarrizko errenta gizarte-erreformaren ideiarekin bat etortzen den arren, ikerketa honen pertzepzioak aurrerapen txikien politika gidatu behar dela ezartzea du, azken batean, Gizarte Segurantzako sistema bateratze partzial bat lortuz, eta ez bera desegitea. Gaur egun, ezaugarri hauei dagozkien adibideak daude, gizarteko talde zehatzetarako (esate baterako, alemaniar adingabekoei) oinarrizko errenta bat ematen zaie. Zalantzarik gabe, adibide hau aurrerapauso handi bat da, pentsioetan belaunaldien banaketaren sistema eredua jarraitzen duten ordenamendu guztien eredu —beraien artean espainola— izan daitekeelako. ABSTRACT: At present, the precarious jobs do not assure the subsistence level, and the future forecasts «the end of work». In addition, because of the defects and limits of the welfare systems, a rethinking of the social protection system is necessary: universal basic income seems to be the most popular option. Although the basic income is usually based on the idea of social reform, the perception of this study is that its implementation should be guided by a policy of small advances, which ultimately make possible a partial reform of the Social Security system, not its dismantling. There are currently examples with these characteristics, for specific groups (e.g. minors in Germany) to which a basic income is being granted. Without a doubt, it is a big step in that direction, which can serve as a model to be followed by all legal systems —among them Spanish one— that follow a system of generational distribution (pay-as-you-go system) in pensions. RESUMEN: En la actualidad, los empleos precarios no aseguran el mínimo vital, y para el futuro se pronostica el «fin del trabajo». Además, ante los defectos y límites de los sistemas asistenciales es necesario un replanteamiento del sistema de protección social: la renta básica universal parece ser la opción más popular. Aunque normalmente la RB se basa en la idea de una reforma social, la percepción de este estudio es que su implementación debe ir dirigida por una política de pequeños avances, que al final posibiliten una reforma parcial del sistema de Seguridad Social, no su desmantelamiento. Existen en la actualidad ejemplos con estas características, para colectivos específicos (ej. menores en Alemania) a los que —en la práctica— se les está otorgando una RB. Sin duda, es un gran paso en esa dirección, que puede servir como modelo a seguir por los ordenamientos jurídicos —entre ellos el español— que siguen un sistema de reparto generacional en pensiones.

scholarly journals Migrants’ Access to Social Protection in Ireland

2020 ◽  
pp. 225-239
Author(s):  
Mel Cousins
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Protection System ◽  
Social Benefits ◽  
Protection Policy ◽  
The Social ◽  
Care Family ◽  
Family Benefits ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract This chapter focuses on the link between migration and social protection in Ireland. The chapter has two main goals. First, it presents the general legal framework regulating the social protection system in Ireland, paying particular attention to any potential differences in terms of conditions of access to social benefits between national residents, non-national residents, and non-resident nationals. Secondly, the chapter discusses how these different groups of individuals access social benefits across five policy areas: unemployment, health care, family benefits, pensions, and guaranteed minimum resources. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the relationship between migration and social protection policy.

FINANCIAL TSUNAMI, ECONOMIC INSECURITY AND SOCIAL PROTECTION: THE CASE OF HONG KONG

2009 ◽  
Vol 43 (02) ◽  
pp. 97-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
KIM MING LEE ◽  
CHING YIN CHENG
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Open Economy ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
The United States ◽  
Protection System ◽  
Economic Insecurity ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Government

Rising economic inequality becomes an important concern for both advanced and developing countries. Nonetheless, political and business elites around the world never question the neoliberal agenda, despite economic crises happening every now and then. The year 2007 may mark the turning point of neoliberal globalisation. As the global financial tsunami kicked off from the burst of the subprime mortgage bubble in the United States in 2007, the global economy is facing an economic hardship never heard of since the Great Depression in the 1930s. Hong Kong as a highly open economy is also severely hurt by the financial tsunami. In every economic recession, all Hong Kong people suffer, but lower classes suffer most. This raises a serious question about whether the current social protection system adequately protects people against an increasingly risky global economic environment. By examining the social policy package adopted by the HK government in fighting against the financial tsunami, we show the lack of long-term strategies and commitments of the government in protecting HK people against globalisation risks and economic insecurity. By drawing experiences from other countries, we suggest that active labour market policies (ALMPs) may be the social policy tools the government can use to reform the social protection system.

CONCEPTUAL BASIS OF MODERNIZATION OF THE SOCIAL PROTECTION SYSTEM

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-21
Author(s):  
Кравченко ◽  
Болотова ◽  
I. Bolotova ◽  
Гребеник ◽  
L. Grebenik
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Welfare ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Protection System ◽  
Conceptual Basis ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Social Sphere ◽  
Social Welfare System ◽  
The Social

The article is devoted to the study and analysis of the social protection system. Based on the analysis of the features of the existing system of social protection of the population trends of the state social welfare system, the study defines the foundations of social protection system modernization, which includes such social problems in a particular region is based on a system of indicators, benchmarks and indicators, reflecting in quantitative and qualitative the form of quality of life, the economy and social sphere in general, the activities of public authorities

scholarly journals FINANCING THE SOCIAL SERVICES OF UKRAINE AT THE PRESENT STAGE IN THE CONTEXT OF BALANCED DEVELOPMENT OF THE TERRITORIES

2022 ◽  
Vol 4 (28) ◽  
pp. 67-74
Author(s):  
Vadym Polischuk
Keyword(s):  
Social Security ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Financial Support ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
The State ◽  
Protection System ◽  
Social Sphere ◽  
The Social ◽  
State And Local

Annotation. Introduction. The article investigates the main problems in the field of social protection of the population in Ukraine that require an immediate solution. The theoretical approach to the financial support of the social sphere is considered. The reasons for the negative impact on the implementation of budget policy in the social protection system are investigated. The financing of social protection and social security, health and education from state and local budgets of Ukraine is analyzed. Changes in the system of social protection through the transformation of financing of the social protection system are determined. The purpose of the article. It is worth exploring the financial support of social services in Ukraine in recent years. It is also worth offering possible ways to counteract the underfunding of the social sphere from the budgets of different levels. Results. Formation of national social security in the system of public finance management should be carried out on the basis of the system of fiscal norms and to be focused; to ensure effective forms of supporting various social groups that require social protection; transition to cash provision of welfare; Personal assistance to the state is included in income of individuals and families. Taking into account that wages are still the main source of income in Ukraine, it is necessary to increase its share in income, paying special attention to minimal hourly remuneration. Conclusions. The main reason for the negative impact on the implementation of fiscal policy in the social security system is mainly reflected in the implementation of the budget expenditures approved by the state. In addition, during the research process, we have found that in the state budget of Ukraine, social security expenditures and social insurance funds have increased more than doubled over the past five years, indicating the lack of funds in this area.

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