The Welfare State

1
The Welfare State

• from the cradle to the grave

2
A welfare state is

• A welfare state is a system of government run
  organisations that helps everyone to have a good
  quality of life by providing a
• safety net of provisions to ensure peoples
  welfare (well-being)
• Governments raise money to pay for welfare
  through taxes and National Insurance payments
  (another type of tax)

3
The Welfare State in the UK

• Founded as a result of the Beveridge Report
  written in 1942 by William Beveridge.
• He identified five major problems in society
  the five evil giants!

4
The Five Evil Giants

• WANT
• DISEASE
• IGNORANCE
• SQUALOR
• IDLENESS

5
The Five Evil Giants

• WANT Many people were living in poverty because
  they were sick, widowed, unemployed
• DISEASE There was no free medical treatment and
  many people could not afford to see a doctor if
  they were ill
• IGNORANCE Secondary education was only
  available to those who could pay for it or who
  passed scholarship at the age of 11. Many
  children left school at the age of 14.

6
The Five Evil Giants

• SQUALOR
• IDLENESS

• Although council housing had been introduced at
  the end of the 19th century, there was not enough
  and many people lived in slums
• At the start of the war over 10 of the workforce
  was unemployed

7
What does the Welfare State Provide?

• Free education
• Free doctors and hospitals
• Benefit payments for the sick, unemployed
• Financial help for families on low wages
• Pensions for old people
• Help with housing
• Help with finding work

8
Christians and The Welfare State

• Christians helped to establish the welfare state
  and continue to support it
• Why?
• The golden rule Do for others what you would
  want them to do for you (The Sermon on The
  Mount)
• Love your neighbour as yourself
• Love one another as I have loved you

9
Christians and The Welfare State The Ten
commandments

• Religious Commandments to do with peoples
  relations with God
• 1. Serve God alone
• 2. Do not make any images of God or worship any
  idols
• 3. Do not use the Lord name in vain
• 4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy

10
Christians and The Welfare State The Ten
Commandments (The Decalogue)

• Social commandments to do with peoples relations
  with one another -
• 5. Respect your father and mother
• 6. Do not kill
• 7. Do not commit adultery
• 8. Do not steal
• 9. Do not accuse anyone falsely
• 10. Do not covey (envy) your neighbours
  possessions

11
The Parable of The sheep and The Goats

• Jesus taught that on judgement day people would
  be separated in two groups the sheep and the
  goats.
• The sheep would be people who had fulfilled their
  Christian duty to feed the hungry, give clothes
  to the naked, visit the sick and help those who
  are in prison. It would be as if they had done
  them for Jesus.
• The goats would be those who had failed to do
  these things

12
Arguments in Favour of a Welfare State

• It ensures that everyone gets treated equally in
  terms of housing, education health care its
  democratic
• It avoids the unfairness of the rich getting
  better treatment than the poor
• It ensures no one suffers extreme hardship it
  humanitarian
• Its based on Christian principles of loving and
  caring for others

13
Christians and The Welfare State The Ten
Commandments (The Decalogue)

• Can aged parents be honoured if they do not have
  pensions?
• Isnt refusing to give the poor health care the
  same as killing them?
• Isnt refusing to help the poor and unemployed
  the same as stealing from them?

14
Arguments Against the Welfare State

• Its expensive to run so better off people have no
  choice but to pay higher taxes to pay for it
• As medical advances are developed people expect
  these treatments on the NHS which is expensive
• Providing everyone with a state pension is
  expensive
• Economic growth does more to help the poor
  taxes can be lowered

• Giving people social security benefits makes them
  unwilling to look for work creates a dependency
  culture.
• It takes away their pride sense of
  responsibility
• The private sector provides better services
• Charities can help those who cant look after
  themselves