This commentary discusses the implications of the changes made to the social security system by the UK government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Until the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK government did not veer from its programme of welfare reform. However, emergency legislation made significant concessions including: an increase in the value of the UK’s main means-tested benefit Universal Credit, more favourable eligibility rules for the self-employed, a reduced conditionality regime, and an increase in the level of housing support.

This paper argues that although the UK government’s COVID-19 social security response was necessary, it did not go far enough. A temporary lifting of some prejudicial elements of the social security system was welcome but this still leaves an overly complex system characterised by unacceptable delays in payment, inadequate support for many vulnerable groups, and inconsistent experiences for recipients of different benefits.

这篇评论讨论了英国政府为应对COVID-19大流行而对社会保障体系做出的变更所带来的影响。在COVID-19大流行之前，英国政府一直不偏离其福利改革计划。但是，紧急立法做出了重大让步，包括：英国主要的经家庭经济审查的福利通用信贷的价值增加，对自雇人士更有利的资格规则，条件制度减少以及住房支持水平提高。

本文认为，尽管英国政府的COVID-19社会保障对策是必要的，但还远远不够。暂时取消社会保障制度的某些偏见要素是值得欢迎的，但这仍然使制度过于复杂，其特点是付款延误不可接受，对许多弱势群体的支持不足，以及给不同福利的接受者带来的经验不一致。