Providing choice? A comparison of UK and Ireland's family support in a time of austerity

Abstract

Providing support to families has long been a feature of social policy systems globally. Recent years have increasingly seen family support shift to recognise the growing trend and policy ambition of maternal employment, particularly in a European context. UK and Ireland represent two examples of countries that have sought to respond to changing labour market and work–life balance dynamics through promoting a choice agenda for working mothers. Whilst both countries are characterised as neo-liberal economies they have promoted the choice agenda via different welfare benefit packages. The recent economic crisis has seen both countries cutting the level of support provided for families, raising questions about the extent that mothers are still being provided with choice in how to combine work and family life. Whilst the cuts look to refocus welfare provision on vulnerable children and their families, they also reflect the push towards individualised responsibility for managing new social risks.