Welfare in Britain

Terms

• Welfare - the provision of a minimal level of well-being and social support for all citizens (sometimes public aid)

• The Welfare State – the same, but includes universal healthcare

History

In the Roman Empire, the first emperor Augustus provided the benefits for citizens who could not afford to buy food. Social welfare was enlarged by the Emperor Trajan. Trajan's program brought acclaim from many others.

The Song dynasty government ( in China) supported multiple forms of social Welfare programs, including the establishment of retirement homes, public clinics, and pauper's graveyards.

Welfare in Britain

The United Kingdom, as a welfare state in the modern sense, was anticipated by the Royal Commission which found that the old law was subject to widespread abuse and promoted squalor, idleness and criminality in its recipients, compared to those who received private charity.

Accordingly, the qualifications for receiving aid were tightened up, forcing many recipients to either turn to private charity or accept employment.

Welfare in Britain

• The resulting Liberal welfare reforms laid the foundations of the modern welfare state.

• Crucially, the experience of almost total state control during the Second World War had inured the population to the idea that the state might be able to solve problems in wide areas of national life.

• In addition to the central services of education, health, unemployment and sickness allowances, the welfare state also included the idea of increasing redistributive taxation, increasing regulation of industry, food, and housing.

Nowadays

State Pension;

74.2

Housing; 16.9

Disability ; 12.6

Attendance; 5.3

Incapacity; 4.9 Maternity; 2.5

Charities

• The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children

The Main Problem

• Relieving citizens of personal responsibility for their own welfare

«Living on welfare had become an “acceptable alternative” to working and suggested that benefit payments were too easy to receive»

David Cameron