Information technology and the governance of social security

Recent welfare state developments have emphasized the structure, administration and governance of service delivery. In critically examining these developments, this article advances a governmentality approach to the welfare state that highlights the significance of technology in contributing to the nature and practices of the welfare state. Based on a comparative study of computerization in the social security systems of 13 OECD countries, it demonstrates that information technologies have generally increased the control of staff and claimants by management rather than empowered them.26 page(s