Stereotypes of Benefit Claimants in Newspaper Articles

• Baumberg et al completed their studied on the media representations of the underclass benefit claimants in 2012
• Baumberg et al's (2012) research 'Benefit Stigma in Britain' analysed a database of 6600 national press articles between 1995 to 2011
• Baumberg et al's (2012) found that 29% of news stories referenced benefit fraud, in comparison the government's own estimate is that a mere 0.7% of all benefit claims are fraudulent (showing a stigma of benefits)
• Common Language used to describe the 'undeserving poor' using benefits:

  • 'Faking Illness'
  • 'Unemployable'
  • 'Handouts' (showing a lack of effort)
  • 'Outsider Status' such as 'Immigrant' or 'Obese'