Developing capabilities and rights in welfare-to-work policies

The article, having characterised present European work-welfare policies in terms of a process of re-commodification, considers the consequences both from a capabilities and a rights perspective. Drawing on recent empirical research it seeks to bring these two perspectives together in order to illustrate an alternative ‘life-first’ approach to work-welfare policy, an approach that would reach beyond both work-first and human capital approaches and expand the possibilities presented by the policy concept of ‘work-life balance’.