University of Bath
22nd November 2019
On Friday 22nd November 2019 the Money, Security and Social Policy (MSSP) network held a one-day event at the University of Bath to discuss current research on Universal Credit and the changing landscape of social security in the UK. The event was supported by the SPA Opportunity Grant and the ESRC-funded Universal Credit project: Couples balancing work, money and care: exploring the shifting landscape under Universal Credit. Our aims for the day were to come together as a network, hear about current research in the field of Universal Credit and social security, have a chance to discuss our work and decide on future steps for MSSP. The event was divided into three sessions.
Morning session
In the morning we heard from Jane Millar, Marsha Wood and Levana Magnus from the Universal Credit project. Jane outlined the background to the study, giving a comprehensive review of existing Universal Credit research and commenting that there is a lack of research focussing on the role and perspective of employers and DWP staff. Marsha gave a more practical outline of the fieldwork process and provoked interesting discussions about carrying out research in participants’ homes.
Levana reflected on her PhD research and how it fit within the wider project. She plans to carry out secondary analysis of project data as well as her own fieldwork within DWP offices.
Some preliminary findings were then briefly outlined. Discussion followed about lone working, gaining access to carry out research with DWP and hierarchies of evidence.
Afternoon session 1: 5-minute presentations
After lunch, we heard from 12 PhD students and ECRs who gave 5-minute presentations about their current projects. Whilst there were several presentations focusing on Universal Credit research, the afternoon session also provided an opportunity to hear about wider research on social security and poverty. Topics ranged from work-disability, income inequality, benefit sanctions and precarious work. We also heard about a range of methodological approaches, including action research, financial diaries and quantitative methods.
Speakers were encouraged to share their work and ideas at various stages in the research process. It was really interesting to hear what members of the network have been working on, and hear from those who were attending their first MSSP event. The presentations were incredibly diverse and thought provoking, and we look forward to future publications from our speakers.
Afternoon session 2: What next for MSSP
At the end of the day, we set aside one hour to jointly reflect on MSSP’s achievements so far and to consider goals for the next year and beyond. In particular, we also wanted to finalise the aims of the next MSSP meeting planned for 2020 in London.
First, we grouped MSSP’s activities as pertaining to three main categories: PhD/ECR peer support; impact and knowledge exchange; and academic collaboration. We then discussed specific activities and funding options within each of these three categories. Examples of suggested areas of discussion included how to make better use of digital tools to give feedback on each other’s work; how to engage with policy actors and people with lived experience of claiming benefits; or the possibility of having an MSSP-led stream at an academic conference. These discussions will now continue on our online communication platform (Yammer) and through Skype. If you are a PhD or early career researcher interested in joining us, please get in touch: msspuk@gmail.com, @mssp_uk
Money, Security and Social Policy 