United Kingdom welfare benefit reforms in 2013–2014: Roma between the pillory, the precipice and the slippery slope

Abstract

The 2013–2014 welfare benefits reform, which continues to undergo post-2015 election changes today, has introduced a dramatic reduction of welfare rights for European Union (EU) citizens. A particularly vulnerable and often discriminated group of these migrants are the Roma, who today come to the UK as economic migrants. This article presents preliminary findings from an on-going research study that investigates the impact these changes had on UK-resident EU/European Economic Area (EEA) Roma migrants and their families, in particular focusing on the Income-Based Jobseeker's Allowance and Housing Benefit. The findings indicate that claiming these welfare benefits can be a daunting process for this migrant group, and refusal of a claim may raise further investigations about their right to reside. This, we observe, is the result of institutional anti-immigration agenda that trickles down from the political elite to administrative bodies assessing welfare benefits claims.