The Digitalization of Welfare and Legal Exclusion: Algorithms, Automation, and Administrative Justice
Keywords:
digital welfare, algorithmic decision-making, legal exclusion, administrative justice, automation, procedural fairness, welfare governanceAbstract
This article examines how the digitalization of welfare systems contributes to legal exclusion and reconfigures the principles of administrative justice in contemporary governance. A scientific narrative review method was employed, using a descriptive analysis approach to synthesize interdisciplinary research published between 2021 and 2024. Sources were drawn from legal studies, public policy, and technology-related fields. The review includes case examples from the UK, Netherlands, US, and Nordic countries, with a focus on the operational mechanisms of automated welfare systems and their legal implications. The review reveals that digital welfare systems commonly utilize eligibility algorithms, risk assessment AI, and biometric verification technologies. While these tools promise efficiency, they also create new vulnerabilities for legal exclusion, especially among marginalized populations. Challenges to administrative justice include the erosion of procedural fairness, opacity in algorithmic decisions, diminished human discretion, and limited access to remedies. Existing legal protections and oversight mechanisms remain underdeveloped in many jurisdictions, though promising innovations such as algorithmic audits and rights to explanation are emerging. Digitalization has reshaped welfare governance in ways that both enhance and threaten access to social rights. Without strong safeguards, automation can undermine administrative justice and disproportionately harm vulnerable groups. A balanced approach is needed—one that integrates technological advancement with legal accountability, user-centered design, and inclusive governance.
Downloads
References
Alexopoulou, S. (2024). Paradigm Shift: Exploring the Impact of Digital Technologies on the Welfare State Through a Systematic Literature Review. Social Policy and Administration, 59(1), 135-157. https://doi.org/10.1111/spol.13054
Busemeyer, M. R., Kemmerling, A., Marx, P., & Kersbergen, K. v. (2022). Digitalization and the Welfare State. 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192848369.003.0001
Chansamut, A. (2023). Digital Pattern for Worker Welfare Management for an Organization in Thai Supply Chain. International Journal of Supply Chain Management, 12(1), 62-64. https://doi.org/10.59160/ijscm.v12i1.6106
Dewi, C. S., Putri, A., & Situmorang, S. L. (2024). Role of Digital Financial Literacy and Digital Financial Behavior on Financial Well-Being in Indonesia. West Science Business and Management, 2(02), 293-303. https://doi.org/10.58812/wsbm.v2i02.980
Faith, B., & Hernandez, K. (2024). What Does a Good Digital Welfare State Look Like? https://doi.org/10.19088/ids.2024.047
Hjelholt, M. (2024). The Absorbent Digital Welfare State: Silencing Dissent, Steering Progress. Journal of Sociology, 60(3), 643-659. https://doi.org/10.1177/14407833241253632
Kaun, A., & Liminga, A. (2023). Welfare Service Centers: Maintenance, Repair, and Care at the Analog Interfaces of the Digital Welfare State. New Media & Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448231220362
Kim, H. J. (2022). Exploring the Health and Welfare Support System Using Digital Technology: Focusing on the Experiences of Finland and Denmark. Research Institute for Life and Culture Sogang University, 10, 181-204. https://doi.org/10.17924/solc.2022.66.181
Li, M. (2023). Digital Transformation: New Development Pattern of Social Security Administration Services. 544-549. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-068-8_68
Li, Y., & Peng, J. (2023). Digital Financial Inclusion and Welfare: Effect, Mechanism and Imbalance. PLoS One, 18(12), e0278956. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0278956
Ruslan, R., S, M. I., Irmawati, M., Fandini, I., & Umar, U. (2024). Edukasi Literasi Digital : Pendampingan Transformasi Digital Bagi Generasi Muda Di Desa Nepo Kabupaten Polewali Mandar. Jurnal Pengabdian Undikma, 5(1), 100. https://doi.org/10.33394/jpu.v5i1.9496
Schiffhauer, B., & Seelmeyer, U. (2021). Responsible Digital Transformation of Social Welfare Organizations. 131-144. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55878-9_8
Seddighi, G., & Corneliussen, H. G. (2024). Welfare Service Providers’ Narratives of Digital Literacies Among Vulnerable Youths in Norway. Journal of Applied Youth Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43151-024-00147-w
Shah, S. S., & Shah, S. A. H. (2024). Trust as a Determinant of Social Welfare in the Digital Economy. Social Network Analysis and Mining, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13278-024-01238-5
Shao, X., Yang, Y., & Wang, L. (2021). Digital Divide or Digital Welfare? Journal of Global Information Management, 29(5), 20-36. https://doi.org/10.4018/jgim.20210901.oa2
Song, Y., Liu, D., & Jianzhong, G. (2024). Can’t Have Your Cake and Eat It Too? The Impact of Digital Infrastructure Construction on Urban Ecological Welfare Performance—A Quasi-Natural Experiment Based on the “Broadband China” Strategy. Land, 13(12), 2125. https://doi.org/10.3390/land13122125
Toorn, G. v., Henman, P., & Soldatić, K. (2024). Introduction to the Digital Welfare State: Contestations, Considerations and Entanglements. Journal of Sociology, 60(3), 507-522. https://doi.org/10.1177/14407833241260890
Wang, S., & Li, J. (2024). Nonlinear Spatial Impacts of the Digital Economy on Urban Ecological Welfare Performance: Evidence From China. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2024.1361741
Xie, Y., & Liu, H. (2024). The Welfare Effects of Digital Infrastructure: Micro-Level Evidence From China. E+m Ekonomie a Management, 27(4), 33-53. https://doi.org/10.15240/tul/001/2024-5-020
Yeo, S. (2023). Digital Welfare Capitalism. 115-138. https://doi.org/10.5622/illinois/9780252044991.003.0005
Yoo, Y.-j., Kim, J. H., & Kwon, J. (2023). A Study on User-Centered Welfare Counseling Reservation Service. Journal of Next-Generation Convergence Information Services Technology, 12(5), 605-616. https://doi.org/10.29056/jncist.2023.10.05
Zakharova, I., Jarke, J., & Kaun, A. (2024). Tensions in Digital Welfare States: Three Perspectives on Care and Control. Journal of Sociology, 60(3), 540-559. https://doi.org/10.1177/14407833241238312
Downloads
Additional Files
Published
Submitted
Revised
Accepted
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
