I joined the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) in 2014 as an academic with twenty years research and teaching expertise in social security law, alongside ten years as Executive Director of the Law Centre Northern Ireland. While all of this …
I grew up in a first-generation immigrant household, and having experiences of homelessness and disability within our family, we were supported by social security benefits which provided a stepping stone out of poverty, but also demonstrated to me some of …
I never had a misspent youth. As a student I spent my Saturday mornings volunteering on a Durham market stall containing (then) DHSS[1] leaflets, answering basic queries and offering appointments for more complex issues. Not knowing what I wanted to …
“If at first you don’t succeed…” I first applied to join the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) just after my 6th child was born. I was previously a Senior Civil Servant in the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit and worked on …
A bit of a benefits nerd, I’ve been in welfare rights pretty much all my working life. I started as an adviser - first at Citizens Advice in London, moving on to Springfield psychiatric hospital and then Bristol City Council …
As an academic, researching into employment and social security law, I often found myself looking at the wealth of work undertaken by the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) from the outside. Therefore, when they advertised for new Committee members with legal …
Last year we completed an extensive study into how the two contributory benefits for those of working age who are not in paid work: New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance and New Style Employment and Support Allowance. We found much that works …
When I was first approached to consider applying for a place on the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC), I had never even heard of it. Nonetheless, I quickly found myself wanting to know more because of my practical experience of …
As I move on from being part of the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) I’m doing a little reflecting. SSAC may not be the highest profile body – its activities are technical and detailed by nature - but its work …
I wasn’t a 'Whitehall Warrior' and so thought I didn’t have a chance of being selected when I applied to become a member of the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC)! But it turned out they welcome and encourage a breadth …
Prior to my appointment to the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC), my work at the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group was primarily focused on tax and tax credits. At that time, I had developed a special interest in the tax …