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This important book builds a bridge between the literature on popular welfare deservingness and social welfare policies. It examines the relationship between the two, exploring the close correspondence between public opinion and public policy that has been present throughout the history of social welfare.

Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative data in a mixed-methods approach, Tijs Laenen not only investigates popular attitudes towards some of the most contested and 'least-deserving' policy target groups, but also towards groups alleged to be highly deserving of social welfare. The chapters also examine how deservingness opinions relate to public support for the social obligations of welfare recipients, for example job-seeking requirements for the unemployed, which has often been overlooked in the field.

Valuable insights are offered into the relationship between welfare deservingness and policy on a cross-national basis, making this a valuable read for sociology, political science and social policy scholars seeking a more in-depth understanding of cross-national differences in welfare policies and welfare attitudes. Policy makers and administrators will also find the study of both the macro-level of welfare regimes and the meso-level of welfare schemes useful.