Arguably, such a pattern can already be observed in the United States and in the most-affected European countries, where the GR made it difficult to maintain a consistent and counter-cyclical social and fiscal policy framework. At the same time, there has been an intensifying debate over the roles of steep budget cuts in triggering double-dip recessions. The worsening social situation has also, after some delay, produced much-needed initiatives in the most-affected countries to bolster support measures for those at the very bottom of the income spectrum. Examples are discussions in Greece of introducing a GMI-type benefit in 2014 (SPC, 2013), as well as growing interest in the role of public works programmes as an emergency measure that can provide targeted and timely help in a severe downturn on a temporary basis (see, e.g., Mutual Learning Programme, 2012). During the GR, the TANF programme, which was the centre-piece of the welfare-reform debate and legislation in the mid-1990s (Anderson et al., At 27%, the proportion of these families receiving TANF cash support remains at its lowest level since the programme was enacted in 1996 (Trisi and Pavetti, 2012).