Sociaalipoliittisten reformien voittajat ja haviajat Euroopassa: tyottomyysturvalain muutokset ja kohdistuminen Isossa-Britanniassa, Alankomaissa ja Suomessa 1980-2006

In the past 26 years, social security benefit recipients have generally seen a curtailing of their social rights. Across Europe, levels of cash transfers have been lowered, eligibility criteria for benefits tightened, and stricter obligations and sanctions enforced for people claiming benefit. What has often gone unnoticed,
however, is that these reforms have not always affected all people in the same way. Based on detailed qualitative data on unemployment insurance benefit reforms, this article describes the reforms carried out in three European countries (UK, Netherlands and Finland) between 1980 and 2006. It goes on to explore how welfare rights have changed in different groups (e.g. young people, older age groups, and the longterm unemployed) and to see whether it is possible to identify winners and losers among unemployment benefit recipients. The results contribute to a better understanding of welfare state change and shed light on the basic question.