Paul Spicker
@paulspicker.bsky.social
Paul is Emeritus Professor of Public Policy at the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. He mainly writes on poverty, benefits, social justice and social policy. Find his published work at https://observant-paulspicker.wordpress.com/paul-spicker/
The BBC should reject Trump's libel claim.
1. The words used were Trump's own.
2. The edit still put two sides - it could have stopped with his call to "fight".
3. Trump has pleaded immunity: these are the words of the POTUS, not an individual.
4. There is no evidence of reputational damage.
1. The words used were Trump's own.
2. The edit still put two sides - it could have stopped with his call to "fight".
3. Trump has pleaded immunity: these are the words of the POTUS, not an individual.
4. There is no evidence of reputational damage.
November 11, 2025 at 8:52 AM
The BBC should reject Trump's libel claim.
1. The words used were Trump's own.
2. The edit still put two sides - it could have stopped with his call to "fight".
3. Trump has pleaded immunity: these are the words of the POTUS, not an individual.
4. There is no evidence of reputational damage.
1. The words used were Trump's own.
2. The edit still put two sides - it could have stopped with his call to "fight".
3. Trump has pleaded immunity: these are the words of the POTUS, not an individual.
4. There is no evidence of reputational damage.
I agree - but there's more to managing immigration than revising the system of controls. observant-paulspicker.wordpress.com/2025/09/10/w...
October 29, 2025 at 5:16 PM
I agree - but there's more to managing immigration than revising the system of controls. observant-paulspicker.wordpress.com/2025/09/10/w...
If the i paper is right, 'lifting' the 2-child limit might be for working families only, or a 3-child limit. Neither is good enough. Both exclude some of the poorest children. Both impose a penalty for blending families. And both call for questions about rape.
October 1, 2025 at 3:16 PM
If the i paper is right, 'lifting' the 2-child limit might be for working families only, or a 3-child limit. Neither is good enough. Both exclude some of the poorest children. Both impose a penalty for blending families. And both call for questions about rape.
In "What is the welfare state for?", I argued that welfare provision is now the norm for all governments. bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/what-i... A new report from the ILO on social justice researchrepository.ilo.org/view/deliver...
shows less poverty, less inequality, better social provision.
shows less poverty, less inequality, better social provision.
researchrepository.ilo.org
September 24, 2025 at 12:04 PM
In "What is the welfare state for?", I argued that welfare provision is now the norm for all governments. bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/what-i... A new report from the ILO on social justice researchrepository.ilo.org/view/deliver...
shows less poverty, less inequality, better social provision.
shows less poverty, less inequality, better social provision.
There are many such critiques - here are two of mine.
*What is the welfare state for?* (2025) is about welfare states round the world, bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/what-i...
*How to fix the welfare state* (2022) policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/how-to-fix-t... is about Britain.
*What is the welfare state for?* (2025) is about welfare states round the world, bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/what-i...
*How to fix the welfare state* (2022) policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/how-to-fix-t... is about Britain.
September 16, 2025 at 1:05 PM
There are many such critiques - here are two of mine.
*What is the welfare state for?* (2025) is about welfare states round the world, bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/what-i...
*How to fix the welfare state* (2022) policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/how-to-fix-t... is about Britain.
*What is the welfare state for?* (2025) is about welfare states round the world, bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/what-i...
*How to fix the welfare state* (2022) policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/how-to-fix-t... is about Britain.
The EU is consulting on anti-poverty strategy. ec.europa.eu/info/law/bet... They see that poverty is multi-dimensional (correct) and plan to look at intergenerational continuity (largely a myth. Longitudinal studies point to 3 main predictors: education, partnering and the state of the economy.)
European Commission - Have your say
European Commission - Have your say
ec.europa.eu
September 11, 2025 at 10:41 AM
The EU is consulting on anti-poverty strategy. ec.europa.eu/info/law/bet... They see that poverty is multi-dimensional (correct) and plan to look at intergenerational continuity (largely a myth. Longitudinal studies point to 3 main predictors: education, partnering and the state of the economy.)
I'm not sure where the figure of 6.5 million people on 'out of work' benefits comes from, but mainly it's 1.6m on "unemployment benefits" and 3.5 m on "incapacity benefits" (www.gov.uk/government/p...) Incapacity means it is "not reasonable" to expect claimants to work: Welfare Reform Act 2012.
Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2025
Historic and forecast benefit expenditure and caseload data usually consistent with the annual spring and autumn Budgets or Statements.
www.gov.uk
August 28, 2025 at 11:54 AM
I'm not sure where the figure of 6.5 million people on 'out of work' benefits comes from, but mainly it's 1.6m on "unemployment benefits" and 3.5 m on "incapacity benefits" (www.gov.uk/government/p...) Incapacity means it is "not reasonable" to expect claimants to work: Welfare Reform Act 2012.
The debate over #gerrymandering reveals a major difference between US and European democracy. The US approach (Federalist 46) is meant to subordinate local interests to national priorities. The European ideal is to treat each constituency as an integral geographic community. Neither method works.
August 15, 2025 at 3:36 PM
The debate over #gerrymandering reveals a major difference between US and European democracy. The US approach (Federalist 46) is meant to subordinate local interests to national priorities. The European ideal is to treat each constituency as an integral geographic community. Neither method works.
Unfortunately, you're absolutely right. The government are so fixated on disability that they have forgotten what sickness benefits are supposed to do. I wrote this two years ago:
observant-paulspicker.wordpress.com/2023/03/15/t...
observant-paulspicker.wordpress.com/2023/03/15/t...
Call me old-fashioned, but I don’t think LCWRA cuts should be ignored by MPs cos PIP is a more memorable acronym.
July 2, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Unfortunately, you're absolutely right. The government are so fixated on disability that they have forgotten what sickness benefits are supposed to do. I wrote this two years ago:
observant-paulspicker.wordpress.com/2023/03/15/t...
observant-paulspicker.wordpress.com/2023/03/15/t...
Reposted by Paul Spicker
I’ve been making my way through the Welfare Reform Bill and this paragraph on the gov.uk website is genuinely disgusting.
Receiving a decent disability benefits rate “encourages sickness”, does it? Funny, I thought it just enabled severely ill and disabled people to eat.
Receiving a decent disability benefits rate “encourages sickness”, does it? Funny, I thought it just enabled severely ill and disabled people to eat.
June 20, 2025 at 10:17 AM
I’ve been making my way through the Welfare Reform Bill and this paragraph on the gov.uk website is genuinely disgusting.
Receiving a decent disability benefits rate “encourages sickness”, does it? Funny, I thought it just enabled severely ill and disabled people to eat.
Receiving a decent disability benefits rate “encourages sickness”, does it? Funny, I thought it just enabled severely ill and disabled people to eat.
NIgel Farage has said he will buy everyone in one pub a drink if Reform wins the by-election: www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/1488379... Treating voters is against electoral law on corrupt practice - as Farage must know, following a similar case www.theguardian.com/politics/201....
Nigel Farage backs Ukip candidate in sausage roll bribery row
Southampton Itchen candidate told to report to police accused of ‘treating’ after savouries were provided at event attended by snooker star Jimmy White
www.theguardian.com
June 5, 2025 at 9:40 AM
NIgel Farage has said he will buy everyone in one pub a drink if Reform wins the by-election: www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/1488379... Treating voters is against electoral law on corrupt practice - as Farage must know, following a similar case www.theguardian.com/politics/201....
dpacni.com/2025/05/03/d...
Their key points:
* Welfare spending is not out of control
* The tests are not easy
* It's not about fraud
* There's no disincentive to work
* Cutting benefits won't fix labour shortages
* Cuts won't help the economy
Their key points:
* Welfare spending is not out of control
* The tests are not easy
* It's not about fraud
* There's no disincentive to work
* Cutting benefits won't fix labour shortages
* Cuts won't help the economy
Disability and Social Security Myth-Buster
Welfare spending is not out of control It is lower than a decade ago and not set to rise within the next five years. What is true is that disability benefits as a share of overall welfare spending …
dpacni.com
May 4, 2025 at 9:26 AM
dpacni.com/2025/05/03/d...
Their key points:
* Welfare spending is not out of control
* The tests are not easy
* It's not about fraud
* There's no disincentive to work
* Cutting benefits won't fix labour shortages
* Cuts won't help the economy
Their key points:
* Welfare spending is not out of control
* The tests are not easy
* It's not about fraud
* There's no disincentive to work
* Cutting benefits won't fix labour shortages
* Cuts won't help the economy
I've received the first copies of "What is the welfare state for?": details at bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/what-i...
'Concise and superbly written" (Daniel Béland)
"A brilliant critical contribution and powerful overview about how we got here and what is at stake" (Camilo Pérez-Bustillo)
'Concise and superbly written" (Daniel Béland)
"A brilliant critical contribution and powerful overview about how we got here and what is at stake" (Camilo Pérez-Bustillo)
April 29, 2025 at 12:21 PM
I've received the first copies of "What is the welfare state for?": details at bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/what-i...
'Concise and superbly written" (Daniel Béland)
"A brilliant critical contribution and powerful overview about how we got here and what is at stake" (Camilo Pérez-Bustillo)
'Concise and superbly written" (Daniel Béland)
"A brilliant critical contribution and powerful overview about how we got here and what is at stake" (Camilo Pérez-Bustillo)
My new blog entry for Policy Press's "Transforming Society": www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2025/04/11/o...
On the incentive to be disabled - Transforming Society
Paul Spicker, author of 'What Is the Welfare State For?', highlights how ‘incentives’ are misused to shift blame onto individuals and justify benefit cuts, rather than tackling systemic issues.
www.transformingsociety.co.uk
April 11, 2025 at 11:08 AM
My new blog entry for Policy Press's "Transforming Society": www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2025/04/11/o...
From the DWP's Impact Assessment: "It is the Government’s judgement that the package of reforms will increase
employment by addressing structural disincentives ...
We have therefore not included potential impacts of increased employment in the poverty, equalities or cost analysis."
employment by addressing structural disincentives ...
We have therefore not included potential impacts of increased employment in the poverty, equalities or cost analysis."
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
March 26, 2025 at 5:21 PM
From the DWP's Impact Assessment: "It is the Government’s judgement that the package of reforms will increase
employment by addressing structural disincentives ...
We have therefore not included potential impacts of increased employment in the poverty, equalities or cost analysis."
employment by addressing structural disincentives ...
We have therefore not included potential impacts of increased employment in the poverty, equalities or cost analysis."
PIP is misunderstood. The benefits it was built on – AA, MA and then DLA - were intended to raise persistently low lifetime income. That is why those benefits were assessed on the basis of the severity of the disability, not on costs, and why they are not work-related or means-tested.
The debate around disability benefits in the UK is loaded with misinformation and misunderstanding. ESA is an out of work benefit, PIP and DLA are in work benefits. They are supposed to help disabled people meet extra costs of being disabled, which can be substantial. What kinds of costs? Read on.
March 23, 2025 at 7:44 PM
PIP is misunderstood. The benefits it was built on – AA, MA and then DLA - were intended to raise persistently low lifetime income. That is why those benefits were assessed on the basis of the severity of the disability, not on costs, and why they are not work-related or means-tested.
If participation in the labour market is falling, why should we assume that the problem is with benefits?
Where are the apprenticeships?
What about vocational education?
Where's the light work?
Where's the therapeutic work?
How come other countries manage contracts with employers, and we can't?
Where are the apprenticeships?
What about vocational education?
Where's the light work?
Where's the therapeutic work?
How come other countries manage contracts with employers, and we can't?
March 17, 2025 at 9:14 AM
If participation in the labour market is falling, why should we assume that the problem is with benefits?
Where are the apprenticeships?
What about vocational education?
Where's the light work?
Where's the therapeutic work?
How come other countries manage contracts with employers, and we can't?
Where are the apprenticeships?
What about vocational education?
Where's the light work?
Where's the therapeutic work?
How come other countries manage contracts with employers, and we can't?
PIP is not what the government seems to think it is.
It's not an 'out of work' benefit.
It's not a disincentive to work.
It's not an 'extra costs' benefit.
What PIP actually does is to offer a supplement to income, to counter long-term disadvantage.
tinyurl.com/y8r9kesx
It's not an 'out of work' benefit.
It's not a disincentive to work.
It's not an 'extra costs' benefit.
What PIP actually does is to offer a supplement to income, to counter long-term disadvantage.
tinyurl.com/y8r9kesx
What is the government doing to disability benefits?
The government’s idea of ‘saving’ money on disability benefits are being justified by several fairly basic misunderstandings about what the benefits do. PIP, in particular, is not…
observant-paulspicker.wordpress.com
March 12, 2025 at 10:03 AM
PIP is not what the government seems to think it is.
It's not an 'out of work' benefit.
It's not a disincentive to work.
It's not an 'extra costs' benefit.
What PIP actually does is to offer a supplement to income, to counter long-term disadvantage.
tinyurl.com/y8r9kesx
It's not an 'out of work' benefit.
It's not a disincentive to work.
It's not an 'extra costs' benefit.
What PIP actually does is to offer a supplement to income, to counter long-term disadvantage.
tinyurl.com/y8r9kesx
There's a fascinating original proposal in The Actuary for universal life insurance: www.theactuary.com/2025/03/07/p...
Paying fair: Could universal life insurance work?
Is it time to think about a UK national life insurance scheme?
www.theactuary.com
March 8, 2025 at 9:15 PM
There's a fascinating original proposal in The Actuary for universal life insurance: www.theactuary.com/2025/03/07/p...
Reposted by Paul Spicker
As Ben's chart shows, overal welfare spending on non-pensioner households has grown slightly as a share of GDP - but not by much.
March 6, 2025 at 10:10 AM
As Ben's chart shows, overal welfare spending on non-pensioner households has grown slightly as a share of GDP - but not by much.
Reposted by Paul Spicker
I constantly hear/see journalists, commentators & interviewers asserting how easy it is to get incapacity & disability benefits despite clearly having no real understanding of how the process actually works or having spoken to someone who's been through it. Completely distorts public understanding
Yet again *another* Times columnist - this time Emma Duncan - makes a blatantly false claim about disability benefits
"At present you can get signed off sick simply through a phone consultation with a GP."
Just shockingly bad journalism, again and again and again.
archive.ph/It3VS
"At present you can get signed off sick simply through a phone consultation with a GP."
Just shockingly bad journalism, again and again and again.
archive.ph/It3VS
March 6, 2025 at 8:59 AM
I constantly hear/see journalists, commentators & interviewers asserting how easy it is to get incapacity & disability benefits despite clearly having no real understanding of how the process actually works or having spoken to someone who's been through it. Completely distorts public understanding
Solidarity is much misunderstood. The main use of the idea in Europe is not about sentiments or attitudes; it's about what people do for each other. An article on solidarity and socialism: observant-paulspicker.wordpress.com/wp-content/u...
February 11, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Solidarity is much misunderstood. The main use of the idea in Europe is not about sentiments or attitudes; it's about what people do for each other. An article on solidarity and socialism: observant-paulspicker.wordpress.com/wp-content/u...
The government proposes half-wittedly to deal with "benefit cheats" by suspending driving licences - making them less employable. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... In France, by contrast, people on benefits can get help learning to drive or obtaining a driving licence: www.ornikar.com/permis/demar...
Benefit cheats could lose driving licences in anti-fraud drive
A proposed new law will also give ministers greater powers to request bank account information.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 22, 2025 at 9:20 AM
The government proposes half-wittedly to deal with "benefit cheats" by suspending driving licences - making them less employable. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... In France, by contrast, people on benefits can get help learning to drive or obtaining a driving licence: www.ornikar.com/permis/demar...
The govt's determination to save money by cutting public spending is misconceived. Social welfare acts as an economic regulator to shore up demand and ensure that economic activity continues. The last thing to do during a slump is to take money out of the economy.
January 14, 2025 at 11:22 AM
The govt's determination to save money by cutting public spending is misconceived. Social welfare acts as an economic regulator to shore up demand and ensure that economic activity continues. The last thing to do during a slump is to take money out of the economy.
After 25 years and more than eight million views, I am closing down my educational website, 'An Introduction to Social Policy'. A legacy copy, and my blog, will still be available at observant-paulspicker.wordpress.com .
Social Policy: an Introduction
A free, educational site about Social Policy
observant-paulspicker.wordpress.com
January 6, 2025 at 12:25 PM
After 25 years and more than eight million views, I am closing down my educational website, 'An Introduction to Social Policy'. A legacy copy, and my blog, will still be available at observant-paulspicker.wordpress.com .