The book subjects the largely hidden phenomenon of benefit sanctions in the UK to sustained
examination and critique. It comprises twelve chapters dealing with the terms 'cruel'
'inhuman' and 'degrading' that are used as a benchmark for assessing benefit sanctions benefit
sanctions as a matter of public concern the historical development of benefit sanctions in the
UK changes in the scope and severity 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 and what if anything can be done about benefit sanctions. Each
chapter ends with a paragraph that attempts to highlight the most salient points in that
chapter and the book ends with a short conclusion in which benefit sanctions are assessed
against the chosen benchmark.
