In this fifth edition of the best-selling core introductory textbook, Pete Alcock and Lee Gregory provide a comprehensive and engaging introduction to social policy. Continuing with the unbeaten narrative style and accessible approach of the previous editions, the authors explore the major topics of social policy in a clear and digestible way. By breaking down the complexities behind policy developments and their outcomes, the book demonstrates the relationship between core areas of policy and the society we live in.
This new edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to cover the impact of Brexit and contains reflections on the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic for social policy. Each chapter contains comprehension activities to aid understanding, as well as helpful summary points and suggestions for further reading.

Lee Gregory is an Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham, UK. He has been teaching social policy for almost 15 years and is the author of Exploring Welfare Debates: Key Concepts and Questions. His research interests include poverty and inequality as well as theoretical and conceptual debates about welfare provision.

Pete Alcock is Emeritus Professor of Social Policy and Administration at the University of Birmingham, UK. He has been teaching social policy for over thirty years and has authored and edited a number of leading texts in the field including Understanding Poverty and The Student's Companion to Social Policy.