The research presented in this issue produces a mixed picture in terms of government performance in key social security areas. Cathie Hammond’s research on the administration of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is critical of policy in this field and provides various recommendations for improvements. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s review of unemployment rates found, reassuringly, that all areas in England had benefited from economic growth, but that some areas had benefited much more than others, leading to greater polarisation overall. The next piece of research covered here, one of four pieces commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions, argues that the Capability Report should be retained but that various aspects of it need revision. The next piece, a survey of employers’ pension provision, also shows mixed results – with only 29% of organisations providing some kind of pension for their employees but 72% of employees covered by these pensions (because larger organisations are much more likely to have such provision). In another study, clients’ experiences of ONE are mixed, depending on the type of client they are and the way the service is delivered. The last piece ends on a positive note in terms of government policy performance. Research from the Policy Studies Institute (PSI) and National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) demonstrates the effectiveness of the New Deal for Young People in finding jobs for its target group without detrimentally affecting the employment chances of older people.