Lesson Starter Can you remember the Five Giants of poverty? Write them down- without looking back at your notes! What is meant by the term ‘welfare state?’

Lesson Starter•Can you remember the Five

Giants of poverty? •Write them down- without

looking back at your notes! •What is meant by the term

‘welfare state?’

What will I learn? • To define what is meant by the term

‘welfare state’.• To understand the reasons why the

UK adopted a welfare state .• To explain and give examples of the

Five Giants.• To understand the founding principles

of the Welfare State.

Success Criteria • Define the term ‘welfare state’.

• Explain the background to the creation of the welfare state.

• List and describe the Beveridge’s Five Giants.

• Outline the founding principles of the welfare state.

What is a Welfare State?

‘A ‘welfare state’ is a system under which the government takes on responsibility for providing social and economic security for the population by means of pensions, social security benefits, free health care and free education. The government provides for people in times of need.

The British Welfare State was set up after 1945 to tackle the terrible poverty of that time. It was based on the findings of a report published by academic William Beveridge. The Beveridge Report of 1942 stated that social welfare in the UK should tackle the five “Giant Evils” of Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness.

Founding Principles of the Welfare State

Individualist or Collectivist?

• Prefer private providers of health, education. • An individual seems to be responsible for

their situation, for example by smoking, drinking too much or eating a poor diet, they argue that this is caused by poor life chances.

• They believe that the ‘nanny state’ is expensive and inefficient.

• Public Private Finance. • Smoking ban, free prescriptions, minimum

pricing on alcohol.

To tackle the five ‘Giant Evils’ the Beveridge Report called for:

• Universal benefits that would cover old age, unemployment and sickness

• A comprehensive health service

• Vastly expanded public sector housing

• Free and universal secondary education

• Full employment

Founding Principles of the Welfare State

The Welfare State was based on four principles. It was to be:

• Collectivist• Universal • Comprehensive• Equal• Provide a service from the ‘cradle to

the grave’

Founding Principles of the Welfare State

Collectivist• The state would fund the services needed. • Raise funds through NI contributions. • The treasury decides the level of pensions and

benefits and succeeding governments decide on the levels of investment.

• People on the right of the political spectrum believe that too much money is spent on the NHS and dislike high taxation. Prefer Individualist approach.

• People on the left believe that the NHS does not do enough to help vulnerable groups such as women and ethnic minorities.

Universal • Provide a range of services for the

whole population that was free at the point of need. Mostly remained this way.

• However not applied across all provisions- charges for dental care, prescriptions (England)etc.

Comprehensive

• The state would undertake to provide for all aspects of need.

• Slay the five giants.• Improve health- NHS was taking

responsibility for all aspects of the nation’s health care.

• Tackling poverty- providing a challenge in the current economic climate.

• Therefore not as comprehensive as Beveridge intended.

Equal • The aim of the Welfare State for equal

provision for all people in all regions and areas.

• However ‘post-code’ lottery of services.

• Homework:• Look up a news story which relates to

changes to the Welfare State.

Devised in the 1940s, the Welfare State was once held up as a model for other countries. The UK’s comprehensive system aimed for ‘cradle to grave’ social protection. Its founding principles of universal provision and flat rate contributions were widely praised. But its principles were never fully realised. Over time, other countries have produced more comprehensive welfare systems which have proved better at tackling poverty.

Founding Principles of the Welfare State

Group ActivityHow relevant is the welfare state

today? Universal Comprehensive

Equal Collectivist

In each box, brainstorm ideas which suggest that the principles of the Welfare State haven't been fully met.

I can…• Define what is meant by the term

‘welfare state’.• Understand the reasons why the UK

adopted a welfare state .• Explain and give examples of the

Five Giants.• Understand the founding principles of

the Welfare State.