ABSTRACT
The chapter develops the conceptual foundations of benefit morale, understood as the internalised system of norms and moral expectations shaping how individuals approach the use, misuse or rejection of welfare benefits. Morality is treated as culturally embedded, emerging from values and social norms that guide judgments about what is acceptable within the welfare system. Benefit morale becomes visible through welfare attitudes – emotional and cognitive orientations toward benefit-related situations. The authors distinguish between rightful take-up, non-take-up, welfare optimisation, overuse and misuse. Human behaviour is viewed as a combination of rational incentives and normative pressures: individuals aim to maximise personal gain while simultaneously responding to social expectations, sanctions, and moral codes. Benefit morale thus operates at the intersection of culture, socio-economic conditions and institutional arrangements. The chapter calls for an integrated theoretical model that captures how norms, values and structural factors combine to shape moral evaluations and behaviours in welfare contexts.
