In this important account, Dr Eve Vincent tells the tale of the 20th-century Australian welfare state and the bold promise that was made to care for its citizens.

Who Cares? outlines the perspectives of people affected by two recent welfare measures and offers an account of the implications of these reforms. Dr Vincent interviewed people impacted by the controversial cashless debit card, which limited discretionary spending, as well as those looking after small children who are compulsory participants in the program ParentsNext.

Dr Vincent challenges the very category of ‘welfare recipient’, which defines people exclusively by their relationship to paid work. She also asks the question, “Who bears the burden of looking after vulnerable people once the welfare state’s duty of care is displaced by surveillance and punishment?”

“It was a real honour to undertake this research with people whose lives are caught up in Australia’s cruel social security system. The release of the report of the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme last week was a crucial reminder of the painful and profound consequences of this vicious system,” says Dr Vincent.

Who Cares? offers a new and deeply humane account of life on welfare today and is available for purchase from Melbourne University Press.