THE LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED, INFORMAL ECONOMIC-ACTIVITY AND THE UNDERCLASS IN BELFAST - REJECTING OR REINSTATING THE WORK-ETHIC

The notion of an 'underclass' existing outside the realm of mainstream society continues to hold sway among journalists and policy-makers. W hile there are many new contenders for inclusion among the underclass, one of the most enduring group of participants is the long-term unemp loyed. Work-shy individuals, seemingly content to live on welfare bene fits, are regarded as placing themselves outside the boundaries of mai nstream economic and social life and passing a host of negative charac teristics on to their children. The possibility that some of this grou p might defraud the welfare benefit system through working while claim ing benefits adds further weight to negative images about the characte ristics of 'underclass' members. The aim of this paper is to challenge some of these common assumptions by examining the ways in which unemp loyed people in an economically depressed locality in West Belfast rel ied on informal economic activity to help meet their material needs. S uch activity has implications for the underclass debate because, rathe r than demonstrating commitment to some alternative set of values, inf ormal economic activity drew participants into the wider economy and d emonstrated adherence to mainstream values. Moreover, often the debate on social security abuse focuses on the supply side of the issue and is remarkably silent about the demand side of the equation. 'Doing-the -double' (working while claiming benefits) was not simply an individua l response to unemployment and inadequate welfare benefits but was lin ked to changes in the labour needs of employers in the wider economy.