The document summarizes the history and development of welfare in Britain. It discusses how the Roman Empire first established social welfare programs to provide food and aid to citizens in need. Welfare expanded further under the emperor Trajan. In modern Britain, the foundations of the modern welfare state were laid through Liberal reforms in the early 20th century. A key development was the population becoming accustomed to the idea of the state taking responsibility for problems through total state control during World War 2. Today, the largest welfare expenses are state pensions, housing, disability, and incapacity benefits, though charities also continue to play an important role in welfare. Some argue the current system relieves citizens of personal responsibility for their own welfare.

1. Welfare in Britain

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Nowadays
State
Pension, 74.2
Housing, 16.9
Disability
, 12.6
Attendance, 5
.3
Incapacity, 4.
9
Maternity, 2.5

7. Charities
• The Save the Children Fund, commonly known
as Save the Children

8. 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