Founding Principles of the Welfare State To what extent have they been met?

Founding Principles of Welfare State  Want  Disease  Ignorance  Squalor  Idleness  Income  Health  Education  Housing  Employment

A welfare state is a concept of government where they play a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. The Beveridge Report was really the trigger for the implementation of the Welfare State in Britain. It would provide security ‘from the cradle to the grave’ The Beveridge Report was really the trigger for the implementation of the Welfare State in Britain. It would provide security ‘from the cradle to the grave’. It was introduced in 1945 in an attempt to address each of the 5 Giants.

How successful has the Welfare State been in providing security ‘from the cradle to the grave?’

Want/Income  How many people benefited from the introduction of the NMW?  Why was it introduced?  Who was it targeted at?  How would it help?

Want/Income  What about the impact of Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance?  What are they?  How much can people get from each?  How does this address one of the ‘5 Giants?’

Want/Income  What issues are there in terms of support for the vulnerable in society?

Disease/Health  A National Health Service was set up ‘free at the point of use’ and available to all.

Disease/Health  Successive Governments have tried to address health concerns and targeted specific areas of health.  Smoking Ban, Challenge 25 (alcohol), Health Promoting Schools, Well Man Clinics and ‘5 a Day’ are examples.

Disease/Health  Public Private Partnerships –Forth Valley Royal (Larbert) set up to provide better facilities and level of care.  More ‘Comprehensive’ care now offered. –Types of treatment?  What other aspects of health and healthcare have improved as a result of Government intervention?

Disease/Health  Postcode Lottery? –What is it? –Who does it affect? –How does it conflict with a Founding Principle of the Welfare State?

Disease/Health  Charges for specific services –Eye care and Dentistry  People having to resort to private health care  Are people in England entitled to be frustrated at prescription charges?

Ignorance/Education  PPP –Falkirk Schools and local authorities throughout Scotland have created new schools at a cost of hundreds of millions of pounds. –Whilst this is through PPP, it’s still a significant commitment to education in this country, providing better facilities and opportunities for students. –How does PPP work?

Ignorance/Education  Student debt levels are projected to rise to £25,000 for those starting university this year, research suggests. –Who is most likely to be affected by this? –Should education be dictated by your ability to pay?

Ignorance/Education  Changes to Tuition Fees –Browne Report recommended lifting the cap on Tuition fees that exist in England. They are currently set at just over £3000 per year. –It’s likely that they will be capped at approximately £7000 per year. However, this is before student loans for living expenses are even taken into account.  Again, should education be dictated by your ability to pay?  Does this tie in with the founding principle?

Squalor/Housing  Housing provided by local authorities made sure that anyone who could not afford to buy or wish to buy, could have a comfortable home.

Squalor/Housing  The ‘right to buy scheme’ introduced by the Conservatives (Margaret Thatcher) has resulted in a worrying lack of available council housing throughout the country.  In Scotland alone, last year, 142,000 households were on waiting lists for social housing.

Squalor/Housing  What is housing benefit?  The Government wants to cap the amount of Housing Benefit people can receive.  There are concerns that this will force people to leave expensive areas like London. Boris Johnson (Mayor of London) likened it to ‘social cleansing’. 

Squalor/Housing  However, David Cameron has accused opponents of ‘scaremongering’ and that families could still qualify for up to £20,00 in Housing Benefit each year.  Does this tie in with the Founding Principles?

Squalor/Housing  800 new council houses will be built in West Lothian this year with West Lothian council investing £63 million and the Scottish Government, £6.5 million.

Idleness/Employment  The Government looked to provide full employment for all working age citizens.

Idleness/Employment  New Deals  Tax Credits  Do they help address the above? How?  Welfare-to-Work

Idleness/Employment  The proportion of 18 to 24-year-olds in England not in employment, education or training (NEET) has risen to 18.4%.  The number of people unemployed in the UK rose by 38,000 to 2.49 million in the three months to June. –Is the Government doing enough?