Business of Government: zombie policies, pendulum swings and more...

Some policy ideas should not be re-animated. (Image: Getty)

Wed, 21 Feb 2024

The pendulum swings on benefit sanctionsThe previous government’s Welfare Expert Advisory Report produced not one but eight evidence review papers on the effectiveness of benefit sanctions, concluding there was “little evidence” supporting the then-current system’s use of obligations and sanctions to change behaviour: “...rather, there is research indicating that they compound social harm and disconnectedness.”In the face of such overwhelming evidence, one might think that, aside from a bit of fine-tuning at...

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