Implementation of the 2014 reform of social assistance at job centres in Denmark – categorizing young clients

ABSTRACT

The Danish government has imposed numerous significant reforms in the employment policy field in recent years. One of the much-debated reforms is on social assistance. One of the specific intentions was a new look and strategy towards youth unemployment by introducing new categories. This leaves the discretion involved in categorization very much at the centre of the reform. This study explores and compares two job centres and the street level social workers discretion of young social assistance recipients. This article argues that the context of implementation affects the discretion carried out by the frontline professionals. Organizations are not just neutral mediators, because organization affects the output. Organizations tends to transform policy and become important in the daily judgement made by frontline professionals of what is correct professionalism. We argue that an implementation context characterized by paradigmatic implementation tends to categorize relatively more young clients as ‘ready for education’, whereas this is not the case for incremental implementation. In both cases, the adaptations of the reform are important. The choice of how to implement and how to organize the implementation of reforms influences the actual discretion. The caseworkers in both job centres are influenced by the organization wherein they work but at the same time have individual room for discretion. It seems as though the different kinds of implementation contexts affect how the individual caseworker mediates the legislation and becomes a policy mediator. The street level organization affects the output whereby they become mediators.

KEYWORDS:

• Employment issues
• social administration
• social policy
• organization

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. In Danish, Uddannelsespålæg.

2. Other main elements of the reform include utility jobs, mentor schemes, an effective sanction system, the professional role of coordination and a strong focus on the basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills of unemployed youth. The job centre is obliged to test and subsequently offer to upgrade these basic skills until having attained the level required for secondary education. http://bm.dk/da/Beskaeftigelsesomraadet/Flere%20i%20arbejde/Kontanthjaelpsreform.aspx (Ministry of Employment 2014a).

3. If it becomes obvious during the first interview that there are no obstacles for immediately beginning an education programme, the individual is categorized as ‘clearly ready for education’. This might be a young person who has just graduated from secondary school without any health or social problems and is simply waiting to begin post-secondary education. We focus on the distinction between ‘ready for education’ and ‘ready for activity’.

4. In Danish, Statens Uddannelsesstøtte (SU). However, students have the option of additional loans, to work without withdrawal and the possibility of cheap accommodation, which doesn’t count for youth on educational benefit.

5. Only for the ‘ready for activity’: On top of the educational benefit, it is possible to obtain an activity supply benefit, the amount of which depends on age (older or younger than 25) and breadwinner status.

6. For the ‘ready for activity’, the cash transfers equal the level prior to the reform.

7. http://bm.dk/da/Aktuelt/Nyheder/Arkiv/2014/02/Uddannelseshjaelp%20Regler%20for%20visitation%20af%20unge%20praeciseres.aspx (Ministry of Employment 2014b).

8. Two interviews were conducted with managers, two with professionals. There were approximately twelve professionals at the centre at the time for the interview.

9. One interview was conducted with a manager, two with professionals. There were approximately twelve professionals at the centre at the time for the interview.

10. In Danish: Ungdommens uddannelsesvejledning (UU). Fifty-three youth counselling centres support the 98 municipalities in Denmark. They provide counselling services for young people up to age 25, assessing the extent to which they have the academic/vocational, personal and social competencies to prepare them to complete an education. Ministry of Employment (2014d). Danish youth guarantee implementation plan, http://www.garanziagiovani.gov.it/Documentazione/Documents/Piano-di-attuazione-Youth-Guarantee-Danimarca.pdf.

11. According to the information from managers from both jobcentres, as they meet collegues from several job-centres.