Benefit sanctions as a matter of public concern -- The historical development of benefit sanctions in the UK -- Changes in the scope, severity and incidence of benefit sanctions -- Conditionality and the changing relationship between the citizen and the state -- The impact and effectiveness of benefit sanctions -- Benefit sanctions and administrative justice -- The role of law in protecting the right to a social minimum -- A comparison of benefit sanctions with court fines -- Benefit sanctions and the rule of law -- What, if anything, can be done about benefit sanctions?

"This book subjects the phenomenon of benefit sanctions in the UK to sustained examination and critique. It examines the relationship between benefit sanctions and conditionality, shows how benefit sanctions have developed in the UK over the last 100 years, compares benefit sanctions in the UK first with benefit sanctions in other countries and secondly with other administrative penalties and court fines. These comparisons indicate that benefit sanctions are not only unusually harsh and cause real hardship but are also, in many important respects, incompatible with administrative justice and the rule of law. This book assesses the problems of punishment outside the courts, where few of the usual safeguards associated with punishment in the courts apply, and concludes by considering both what could be done about benefit sanctions and whether anything is likely to be done as long as work is prioritised over welfare." -- Taken from back cover.