Policy Press

Good Times, Bad Times

The Welfare Myth of Them and Us

By John Hills

Published

Feb 22, 2017

Page count

352 pages

Edition

2nd Edition

ISBN

978-1447336471

Dimensions

216 x 138 mm

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

Feb 22, 2017

Page count

352 pages

Edition

2nd Edition

ISBN

978-1447336495

Dimensions

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

Feb 22, 2017

Page count

352 pages

Edition

2nd Edition

ISBN

978-1447336501

Dimensions

Imprint

Policy Press
Good Times, Bad Times

Two-thirds of UK government spending now goes on the welfare state and where the money is spent – healthcare, education, pensions, benefits – is the centre of political and public debate.

Much of that debate is dominated by the myth that the population divides into those who benefit from the welfare state and those who pay into it – 'skivers' and 'strivers', 'them' and 'us'.

This ground-breaking book, written by one of the UK’s leading social policy experts, uses extensive research and survey evidence to challenge that view. It shows that our complex and ever-changing lives mean that all of us rely on the welfare state throughout our lifetimes, not just a small ‘welfare-dependent’ minority.

Using everyday life stories and engaging graphics, Hills clearly demonstrates how the facts are far removed from the myths. This revised edition contains fully updated data, discusses key policy changes and a new preface reflecting on the changed context after the 2015 election and Brexit vote.

John Hills (1954-2020) was Richard Titmuss Professor of Social Policy and Co-Director of the International Inequalities Institute at the London School of Economics. He wrote extensively on inequality, public policy and the welfare state. He was a member of the Pensions Commission and Chair of the National Equality Panel for the Labour government and led a review of the measurement of fuel poverty for the Coalition government. He was knighted in 2013 for services to the development of social policy.

Preface;

Introduction: Them and us;

Are the poor too expensive? Redistribution and the welfare state;

The long view: Social policies and the life cycle;

It’s complicated: High frequency living;

Good years, bad years: Reacting to change;

The long wave: Wealth and retirement;

The longest wave: From generation to generation;

A moving backdrop: Economic crisis, cuts, growth and ageing;

Conclusion: Britain’s misunderstood welfare state.