Beyond nudging: it’s time for a second generation of behaviourally-informed social policy

Insights from experimental research in the behavioural sciences offer a powerful impetus to reject punitive welfare reform. Katherine Curchin explains that findings from psychology, behavioural economics and behavioural finance concerning decision-making by people experiencing poverty point to the importance of alleviating material hardship by improving the social safety net; trying to remedy the character of individuals through benefit sanctions is therefore not a solution.