School of Social and Political Science

Background

Qualifications

PGCHET (Queen's University, Belfast) 

PhD Social Policy (University of Nottingham) 

MA Social and Public Policy (University of Leeds) 

BA (Hons) Social Policy & Administration (UClan)

Affiliations

• Member of the Editorial Collective of Critical Social Policy journal.
• Member of the Employment & Social Security Policy Group of the Social Policy Association.
• Member of the All Island Social Security Network.
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Teaching 

For this academic year I am on research sabbatical and will be spending some time as a visiting scholar at Trinity College Dublin as part of my developing research into social insurance benefits, and the governance of local employment services in the UK and Ireland. 

Previously I have served as Director for Postgraduate Teaching in the Social Policy Subject Area and Programme Director of the MSc Public Policy. With respect to course delivery I have regularly acted as Course Organiser for the postgraduate course Political Issues in Public Policy and have previously served as Course Organiser of the Global and International Social Policy course.  At undergraduate level I have contributed to the following courses; Understanding Public Policy; Social Policy & Society; Rethinking the Financial Crisis; and The Politics of the Welfare State. I continue to serve as a member of the Quality Assurance Agency Advisory Group on the Subject Benchmark Statement (SBS) for Social Policy, which is in the process of being revised prior to publication in 2026. 

Select publications

Monograph

Wiggan, J. (2024) The Politics of Unemployment Policy in Britain: Class Struggle, Labour Market Restructuring and Welfare Reform, Policy Press, Bristol.

Journal articles

Costa, T. & Wiggan, J. (2024) 'The Bolsonaro Government’s 2019 pension reform in Brazil: a policy discourse analysis', Critical Policy Studies, 620-638, Vol 18, No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1080/19460171.2023.2289065 

Wiggan, J. & Grover, C. (2022) The politics of job retention schemes in Britain: The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Temporary Short Time Working Compensation Scheme, Critical Social Policy,  pp 716-739, Vol 42, Issue 4.

Wiggan, J. (2018) 'Policy Boostering the Social Impact Investment Market in the UK', Journal of Social Policy, 721-738, Vol. 47, Issue 4.

Jantz, B. Klenk, T. Larsen, F. Wiggan, J. (2018) 'Marketization and Varieties of Accountability Relationships in Employment Services: Comparing Denmark, Germany, and Great Britain', Administration & Society, pp 321-345. Vol. 50. No. 3.

Wiggan, J. (2017) 'Contesting the austerity and “welfare reform” narrative of the UK Government: Forging a social democratic imaginary in Scotland', International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, pp 639-654. Vol 37. Issue 11-12 

Rafferty, A. L. & Wiggan, J. (2017) 'The time-related underemployment of lone parents during welfare reform, recession and austerity: A challenge to in-work conditionality?' Social Policy & Administration. pp 511-538. Vol. 51, No. 3.

• A related submission of evidence to the Work & Pensions Select Committee: In-work progression in Universal Credit Inquiry can be found at the following link. Written submission of evidence to Work & Pensions Select Committee: In-work progression in Universal Credit inquiry - (IWP0010) January 20th 2016

Wiggan, J. (2015) 'Reading active labour market policy politically: An autonomist analysis of Britain’s Work Programme and Mandatory Work Activity', Critical Social Policy, pp 369-392, Vol. 35, No. 3.

Wiggan, J. (2015) Varieties of marketisation in the UK: examining divergence in activation markets between Great Britain and Northern Ireland 2008-2014, pp 115-132, Policy Studies, Vol. 36, Issue 2.

Wiggan, J. (2012) 'Telling stories of 21st Century Welfare: the UK Coalition Government and the neo-liberal discourse of worklessness and dependency ', Critical Social Policy, pp 383-405, Vol. 32, No. 3.

Wiggan, J. (2012) ‘A kingdom united? Devolution and welfare reform in Northern Ireland and Great Britain’, pp 55-70, Policy & Politics, Vol. 40, No. 1

Rafferty, A. & Wiggan, J. (2011) ‘Choice and welfare reform: lone parents’ decision making around paid work and family life’, pp 275-293, Journal of Social Policy, Vol. 40, No. 2.

Wiggan, J. (2010) 'Managing time: the integration of caring and paid work by low income families and the role of the Uk's tax credit system', pp 631-645, Policy Studies, Vol. 31, No. 6.

Talbot, C. & Wiggan, J. (2010) ‘Public Value of the National Audit Office’, International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 23, Issue 1.

Wiggan, J. (2009) ‘Mapping the governance reform of welfare to work in Britain under New Labour , International Journal of Public Administration, pp 1-21, Vol. 32, Issue 12.

Brookes, S. & Wiggan, J. (2009) ‘Reflecting the Public Value of Sport: A game of two halves’, Public Management Review, pp 401-420, Vol. 11, Issue 4.

Wiggan, J. (2007) ‘Reforming the United Kingdom’s public employment and social security agencies’, International Review of Administrative Sciences, pp 409-424, No. 3, Vol. 73, September.

Wiggan, J. (2007) ‘Administering economic reform: labour and the governance of social security’, Policy & Politics, No. 4, Vol. 35, October.

Wiggan, J. & Talbot, C. (2006) 'The benefits of welfare rights advice', Benefits – The Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, pp, 235-239,Vol. 14, No. 3, October.

Chapters

Wiggan, J. & Knuth M. (2023) 'Active labour market programmes and employer engagement in the UK and Germany' in Ingold, J. McGurk P. (eds.) Employer Engagement - Making Active Labour Market Policies Work, Bristol University Press, Bristol.

Wiggan, J. (2019) 'Financialisation, Social Impact Bonds and the making of new market spaces in social policy', in Whitworth, A. (ed.) Towards a spatial social policy: bridging the gap between geography and social policy, Bristol University Press, Bristol.

Wiggan, J. (2016) 'Austerity Politics', Chapter 21, Alcock, P. Haux, T. May, M. Wright, S. (eds.) The Student's Companion to Social Policy, 5th Edition, Wiley-Blackwell.

Wiggan, J. (2015) 'What variety of employment service quasi-market? Ireland's JobPath as a private power market', in Irving, Z. Fenger, M. and Hudson, J. (eds) Social Policy Review 27, The Policy Press, Bristol.

Wiggan, J. (2011) 'Something old and blue or red, bold and new? Welfare reform under the Coalition Government' in Holden, C. Kilkey, M and Ramia, G (eds) Social Policy Review 23, The Policy Press.

Wiggan, J. (2007) ‘Department for Work & Pensions’, pp 110-117 in Talbot, C. & Baker, M. (eds.) The Alternative Comprehensive Spending Review, Manchester University Press.

Commentary and research reports  

Bennett, H. & Wiggan, J. (2025) Building on shaky foundations? Multi-level policy realities for Scottish social security policies, Centre for Constitutional Change.

Wiggan, J. (2020) Short time working programmes and mass unemployment in Britain: it was acceptable in the 80s, Autonomy Institute.

Wiggan, J. & Talbot, C. (2006) ‘Take-up of Entitlements and Pensioner Poverty: A Review of the Literature’, Chapter 6, pp 47-58, Progress in Tackling Pensioner Poverty: Encouraging Take-up of entitlements – Technical Report, Comptroller and Auditor General, HC1178-11, Session 2005-2006, TSO, London.

Talbot, C. & Wiggan, J. with Hendey, N. Rafferty, A. Calcraft, R. Freestone, M. & Wyatt, B. (2005) Jobcentre Plus customer service performance and  delivery: A qualitative review, Research Report No. 276, Department for Work and Pensions, Corporate Document Services, Leeds.