ABSTRACT
This chapter examines policy changes, and developments in welfare institutions for their impact on the collective action and interest representation of welfare claimants. Estimating the numbers and types of organizations of welfare claimants in Britain is very difficult. There are traditional pressure groups such as the Child Poverty Action Group which emerged during the 1960s. Any understanding of contemporary collective action among welfare claimants in Britain has to grasp the impact of economic and political changes since 1979. These revolve around a major restructuring of the economy, and the impact of Thatcherism on both British society and politics generally, and on welfare claimants in particular. The new Child Support Agency has been introduced by the government to try to reduce the ‘burden’ of single mothers on state benefits. Of particular importance was the removal of the earnings-related supplement in 1982, and the loss of additional payments for the children of the unemployed in 1984.
