Universal Credit and Crime

D'Este, Rocco; Harvey, Alex

doi:10.2139/ssrn.3654921

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 17 publications

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“…The effects on health of the transition to UC are therefore likely be complex and geographically variable, with some households benefitting from improved living standards and greater financial security, but others facing an increase in hardship, insecurity and debt 26. Effects may be direct, for example by increasing stress, or be mediated by changes in behaviours such as smoking, drinking or criminal activity 27. Children’s health likewise will be affected directly by changes in household living standards,28 for example, in relation to diet or warmth, but also by effects operating through parental stress and consequent changes in parenting and other behaviours 29…”

Section: Methods and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the mental health impacts of Universal Credit: protocol for a mixed methods study

et al. 2022

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IntroductionThe UK social security system is being transformed by the implementation of Universal Credit (UC), which combines six existing benefits and tax credits into a single payment for low-income households. Despite extensive reports of hardship associated with the introduction of UC, no previous studies have comprehensively evaluated its impact on mental health. Because payments are targeted at low-income households, impacts on mental health will have important consequences for health inequalities.Methods and analysisWe will conduct a mixed methods study. Work package (WP) 1 will compare health outcomes for new recipients of UC with outcomes for legacy benefit recipients in two large population surveys, using the phased rollout of UC as a natural experiment. We will also analyse the relationship between the proportion of UC claimants in small areas and a composite measure of mental health. WP2 will use data collected by Citizen’s Advice to explore the sociodemographic and health characteristics of people who seek advice when claiming UC and identify features of the claim process that prompt advice-seeking. WP3 will conduct longitudinal in-depth interviews with up to 80 UC claimants in England and Scotland to explore reasons for claiming and experiences of the claim process. Up to 30 staff supporting claimants will also be interviewed. WP4 will use a dynamic microsimulation model to simulate the long-term health impacts of different implementation scenarios. WP5 will undertake cost–consequence analysis of the potential costs and outcomes of introducing UC and cost–benefit analyses of mitigating actions.Ethics and disseminationWe obtained ethical approval for the primary data gathering from the University of Glasgow, College of Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee, application number 400200244. We will use our networks to actively disseminate findings to UC claimants, the public, practitioners and policy-makers, using a range of methods and formats.Trial registration numberThe study is registered with the Research Registry: researchregistry6697.

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Section: Methods and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the mental health impacts of Universal Credit: protocol for a mixed methods study

et al. 2022

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Covid-19 and child criminal exploitation in the UK: implications of the pandemic for county lines

et al. 2021

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In March 2020, the UK was placed in lockdown following the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Just as legitimate workplaces made changes to enable their employees to work from home, the illicit drugs trade also made alternative arrangements, adapting its supply models to ensure continuity of operations. Based upon qualitative interviews with 46 practitioners, this paper assesses how front-line professionals have experienced and perceived the impact of Covid-19 on child criminal exploitation and County Lines drug supply in the UK. Throughout the paper, we highlight perceived adaptations to the County Lines supply model, the impact of lockdown restrictions on detection and law enforcement activities aimed at County Lines, and on efforts to safeguard children and young people from criminal exploitation. Our participants generally believed that the pandemic had induced shifts to County Lines that reflected an ongoing evolution of the drug supply model and changes in understanding or attention because of Covid-19 restrictions, rather than a complete reconstitution of the model itself. Practitioners perceived that Covid-19 has had, and continues to have, a significant impact on some young people’s vulnerability to exploitation, on the way in which police and frontline practitioners respond to County Lines and child criminal exploitation, and on the way illegal drugs are being moved and sold.

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