A Brief History of Welfare State From Welfare State to Welfare Society.

A Brief History of Welfare A Brief History of Welfare StateState

From Welfare State to Welfare From Welfare State to Welfare SocietySociety

Outline:Outline:

• early 17th centuryearly 17th century• 1834 Poor Law - 1834 Poor Law - • 1908 -1908 -• 1945 -1945 -• 1979 -1979 -• 1997 -1997 -

early 17th century

• Collective responsibility: local parishes given responsibility to look after the poor, sick and orphaned

• Criticisms of system: cCriticisms of system: cost to those paying for ‘poor relief’ considered too burdensome. It was also felt that the poor might do more to help themselves if left to their own devices — that to some extent, it was ‘their fault’ that they were unemployed.

1834 Poor Law - 1834 Poor Law -

• Individual responsibility: stricter regime Individual responsibility: stricter regime introduced-healthy unemployed forced introduced-healthy unemployed forced to go into to go into workhousesworkhouses

• Criticisms of system: wCriticisms of system: workhouses came to be seen as too harsh and unacceptable. Unemployment came to be seen as an inherent problem of the economic system.

1908 -

• Individual responsibility: contributory Individual responsibility: contributory insurance schemes introduced — insurance schemes introduced — covering medical and retirement covering medical and retirement costs of those employees who paid costs of those employees who paid insuranceinsurance

• Criticisms of system: not Criticisms of system: not comprehensive enough — too many comprehensive enough — too many people still not covered.people still not covered.

1945 -1945 -

• Individual responsibility: comprehensive Individual responsibility: comprehensive national welfare system established national welfare system established (unemployment benefit, sickness benefit, (unemployment benefit, sickness benefit, retirement pensions for all), as well as National retirement pensions for all), as well as National Health Service — NHS — in 1947Health Service — NHS — in 1947

• Criticism of system: not selective enough.Criticism of system: not selective enough.Burden of costs demands review.Burden of costs demands review.Also, system breeds ‘welfare dependency’, Also, system breeds ‘welfare dependency’, suppressing individual initiative. Therefore suppressing individual initiative. Therefore need to ‘target’ benefits at those most in need.need to ‘target’ benefits at those most in need.

1979 -

•Individual responsibility: private provision of pension and medical costs encouraged.

•Collective responsibility: benefit system tightened up. Reorganization of NHS.

1997 - Positive1997 - Positive welfare societywelfare society

What would a radically reformed welfare state What would a radically reformed welfare state – the social investment state in the positive – the social investment state in the positive welfare society – look like? welfare society – look like? 1. Government working together with other 1. Government working together with other agenciesagencies

22. No rights without responsibilities 3. Positive welfare

‘Third Way’ programme

• A 'Third Way' programme

• 'Our task today is not to fight old battles but to show that there is a third way, a way of marrying together an open, competitive and successful economy with a just, decent and humane society' (cited in Driver and Martell 1998, p. 7).

Social inclusionSocial inclusion

• Redistribution of opportunities

• Social exclusion→inequalities

ProposalsProposals

• ‘Active' employment strategies • Lifelong learning to prepare people for the

'fourth sector' informational economy• Recognition of the barriers posed by discri

mination in the labour market.

Social integration andSocial integration and cohesion cohesion• Exclusion and polarization →unacceptable levels

of social and political conflict

• Retaining the social model → social integration and cohesion.

Potential or possible advantages of the Welfare State

1. free medical attention2. free medical care3. free dental treatment4. increased family and child

allowance5. pensions for everyone6. houses provided at low rents7. everyone could benefit, regardless

of social status

Potential or possible disadvantages of the Welfare State 1. It costs the state too much.

2. It breeds ‘ welfare dependency’.3. Everyone has to pay for it through

taxes, regardless of their needs.4. Fewer benefits for the more

prosperous classes (for example the middle class)

Thank you!Thank you!

•• Pictures of workhousePictures of workhouse