Law in a Complex State

Complexity in the Law and Structure of Welfare

Neville Harris (University of Manchester)

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English

Hart Publishing
14 October 2013

Law; Social security & welfare law

Approximately half of the total UK population are in receipt of one or more welfare benefits, giving rise to the largest single area of government expenditure. The law and structures of social security are highly complex, made more so by constant adjustments as government pursues its often conflicting economic, political and social policy objectives. This complexity is highly problematic. It contributes to errors in decision-making and to increased administrative costs and is seen as disempowering for citizens, thereby weakening enjoyment of a key social right. Current and previous administrations have committed to simplifying the benefits system. It is a specific objective of the Welfare Reform Act 2012, which provides for the introduction of Universal Credit in place of diverse benefits. However, it is unclear whether the reformed system will be either less complex legally or more accessible for citizens.

This book seeks to explain how and why complexity in the modern welfare system has grown; to identify the different ways in which legal and associated administrative arrangements are classifiable as 'complex'; to discuss the effects of complexity on the system's administration and its wider implications for rights and the citizen-state relationship; and to consider the role that law can play in the simplification of schemes of welfare. While primarily focused on the UK welfare system it also provides analysis of relevant policies and experience in various other states.

By: Neville Harris (University of Manchester)
Imprint: Hart Publishing
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 15mm
Weight: 440g
ISBN: 9781849464451
ISBN 10: 1849464456
Pages: 310
Publication Date: 14 October 2013
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Neville Harris is a Professor of Law at the University of Manchester.

Reviews for Law in a Complex State: Complexity in the Law and Structure of Welfare

In this extremely welcome and timely study, and providing numerous illustrative and pertinent examples, Professor Neville Harris uses the prism of welfare legislation (a sometimes neglected field of law) to embark on a denouement of the idea of complexity, forensically examining the concept in its component parts, and demonstrating that far from being attributable to one overall conceptual or practical legal, administrative or judicial factor, complexity is rather a multi-layered amalgam of all of these... The analysis itself brings some clarity to the definition of complexity, its existence in the UK welfare system, and a rationale for its presence. Timely and interesting, the central threads of the analysis may usefully be applied to other areas of law beset by the same complexity. -- Dr Philip M. Larkin * Journal of Social Security Law, Issue 2, 2014 * Neville Harris's book is a masterwork...[it] is well researched, authoritative, and, surprisingly given the subject matter, very readable. It explains why complexity matters and what might be done to improve matters. It should be of interest to anyone who is involved in the design of social security rules, policy makers, welfare law practitioners as well as academics with an interest in legal philosophy or legal methodology. -- Neil Bateman * Public Law, April 2015 *