Why so you think there have been some changes in government’s attitudes towards the traditional Universal Welfare Provision?

By 0318 王爽

the welfare situation in UK since WW II.

Key words

1. Beveridge report

2. Keynesian economics

the welfare situation in UK since WW II.

Beveridge report the National Health Servi

ce in 1946, with free medical treatment for all

the National Assistance Act 1948

A national system of benefits

'from the cradle to the grave'.

William Beveridge

two dominant political perspectives of the time reluctant collectivist and social democratic －－

both accepted that the state needed to intervene, to a degree, in the market economy and to provide at least a basic level of social protection f

or its population

Keynesian economics predominant influence theory

challenges of the 1970's

mass unemployment the oil crisis an international recessi

on the emergence of radic

al perspectives rising expectations of t

he public of welfare services

Key wordat this time

a third political approach

the New Right ideology

the free market and that public welfare benefits undermined the incentive to work and the flexibility of the labour market

how the Beveridge Report is insufficiehow the Beveridge Report is insufficientnt. .

could no longer afford to sustain the welfare systecould no longer afford to sustain the welfare system in its then current form. Beveridge's plan had bm in its then current form. Beveridge's plan had been based on an assumption that full employmeneen based on an assumption that full employment was a sustainable feature of modern industrial st was a sustainable feature of modern industrial societyociety

the cost of running the services had consistently the cost of running the services had consistently grown beyond expectation, without full employmgrown beyond expectation, without full employment there were less contributions and yet more ment there were less contributions and yet more money had to be paid out. Economic growth had stoney had to be paid out. Economic growth had stumbled and the oil crisis plunged the internationaumbled and the oil crisis plunged the international economy into recession. l economy into recession.

created a dependency on the state, considered created a dependency on the state, considered a highly undesirable consequence a highly undesirable consequence

Radical perspectives and approaches also devRadical perspectives and approaches also developed that highlighted more inequalities eloped that highlighted more inequalities

Demographic changes and predictions also raiDemographic changes and predictions also raised problems , particularly the aging populatised problems , particularly the aging population on

the expectations of the growing middle class wthe expectations of the growing middle class were increasing, they expected more and more fere increasing, they expected more and more from the services that they paid for and used rom the services that they paid for and used

with these developing pressures that the Conservative party under Thatcher won the election in 1979, they vigorously espoused New Right values and set upon a programme of redefining the states relationship to its citizens, promising to free the market and reduce dependency on welfare

• The future of a Universal Welfare system looks like being in the balance, and a move towards a Selectivity system seems on the way, but whichever way it goes the government need to ensure that the vulnerable do not suffer - Children, elderly and the disabled.

Thank you Thank you for your for your attention.attention.