This book explores the role of government in encouraging or deterring the claiming of welfare entitlements. It:

compares the rhetoric of claimants' rights with the realities of information provision;

uses the example of the increasingly complex social security system to consider the citizenship status of claimants;

focuses on government policies rather than on psychological, attitudinal or deprivational explanations for levels of take-up;

uses historical and contemporary evidence, including interviews with policy makers, to explore information policy.

Promoting welfare? is aimed at all those who are concerned about poverty, social justice and citizenship including students and teachers of social policy, politics and public administration; politicians and policy makers; and service users, practitioners and welfare rights groups.