the welfare state

give examples of solutions to poverty

• free school meals

• council housing

• free healthcare

• bursary 

• food banks 

what does the term cradle to grave mean

that we are looked after by welfare from birth to death

what was the beveridge report

• it began the welfare state

• it was based on four assumtions

• it recommended that the welfare state destroy the 5 giants

what were the 4 assumptions that the beveridge report was based on

• full employment

• universal welfare - equal access

• free healthcare and education

• women are house wives and mothers

what are the 5 giants that the beveridge report found

• disease

• squalor

• want

• ignorance

• idleness

what does the service of benefits do

• destroys the giant of want because people can pay for things using the money they recieve - specifically the things they deem as important

• ignorance - acknowledges the inequality

• squalor - can spend money on housing

what does the service of the NHS do

• disease - people get free medication in order to tackle disease

• ignorance - gov acknowledges the inequality and provides healthcare for everyone

what does the service of free compulsory education do

• destroys idleness because you have to go to school

• destroys ignorance because were taught about inequality

what does the service of council housing do

• destroys squalor because all council houses have to be a certain standard 

• less disease because people arent homeless 

advantages of state welfare

• provides a safety net when private sectors fail

• provides a wider range of services 

• institutions like schools are held account for their failings e.g. ofsted 

disadvantages of the state welfare

• funding can be cut e.g. winter fuel allowance 

• too much demand can put a service under incredible pressure e.g. NHS during covid

who else provides welfare 

• state 

• private companies

• families

• voluntary organisations

is welfare pluralism better 

yes because it tskes the pressure off of the government ran ones so they can work better 

what is welfare pluralism also named 

a mixed economy of welfare provisions

how do family members provide welfare

• look after ill/elderly/disabled

• childcare

how many carers are there across the uk

5.8 million

how do the gov benefit from there being so many carers 

there is less demand and it saves them money

what impact can be a carer have on children

• marginalisation

• social exclusion

• underachievement in education

• mental health issues 

the census

in 2021 it showed that women were more likely to be carers than men 59%

why are women more likely to be carers

traditional gender roles

• they complete the expressive role where as men are traditionally the breadwinners 

give an example of a volunatry charity and what they do

• NSPCC - stop child abuse and help rebuild childrens lives

• macmillan - provides emotional, financial and physical support for cancer patients

advantages of the voluntary sector

• the charities have high levels of experitise than the nHS wouldnt have because they specialise in it 

• they respond quicker 

• can talk to the governemnt about improvements

disadvantages of the voluntary sector

• lack adequate funds bc they rely on donations

• dont exist in areas that the need to

• under severe pressure due to gov. cuts

what impact has the cost of living crisis had on the voluntary sector 

less people have enough disposable income to give donations and so less charities are getting less donations

the private sector 

• ran like a business (for profit) 

• more efficient and effective because they have to provide the service quickly 

• “queue jump”

what do marxists think of the private sector

it benefits the bourgeoisie because its only them that can pay for it while the proletariat still have to wait for the backlog in the NHS 

what do marxists think of the welfare state

• “caring face of capitalism” 

• keeping labour force healthy

• reducing risk to social order

• stopping a revolution

who came up with the theory of the caring face of capitalism

Pearce

what do feminists think of the welfare state

• benefits the patriarchy 

• over time women get less pensions 

• ignores the triple shift and informal welfare that women do 

social democrats

• specific to welfare 

• left wing

• opposite to new right 

what do social democrats think

• gov should be responsible for all social welfare 

• “womb to tomb”

• benefits should be universal and not means tested 

• greater inequality 

gov should be responsible for all social welfare 

Weber agrees that the government should give the working classes better opportunities so they can have a stronger market situation e.g. free education

“womb to tomb”

the beveridge report agrees and says that everyone should have welfare from birth to death to tackle the 5 giants

benefits should be universal and not means tested 

the new right would disagree because they would say everyone will become benefit scroungers because of the peverse incentives, creating an even larger dependency culture 

greater equality

feminists agree because informal welfare creates a gender divide

marxists would agree because the private sector creates a class divide

what do the new right think of the welfare state

• they should “roll back: welfare 

• welfare pluralism is better becauwe there less stress on the government 

left wing 

• social democrats

• welfare state is positive

• cradle to grave 

• shouldnt be means tested 

right wing 

• the new right

• favour private welfare

• criticise state welfare

• only for the deserving poor

which political party was in power from 1979-1997

conservatives

• new right approach

• welfare cuts 

which political party was in power from 1997-2010

new labour

• more social democratic view

• bringing back welfare

• ‘hand up rather than hand out’

which political party was in power from 2010-2015

coalition - conservatives and liberal democrats

• more new right

• more welfare cuts

which political party was in power from 2015-2024

conservatives

• covid 19

which political party is in power now

labour

introduction of the minimum wage (new labour)

• strength = guarantees minimum income for necessities

• weakness = business will need to increase prices to pay workers

family intervention project (new labour)

• strength = reduces cycle of deprivation

• weakness = the r/c ideology is imposed on the w/c

sure start centres (new labour)

• strength = closes the disadvantage gap between children

• weakness = can be very difficult to find achievement gap

tax credit (new labour)

• strength = families can provide a more stable home for children

• weakness = may take a lot of time for families to sort out

free child care ages 3-4 (new labour)

• strength = parents have to pay less because its now 12.5 hours

• weakness = parents will work more than 12.5 hours per week

policies changed by the NR

• stricter definition of what being incapable of work meant

• benefits for disabled were cut

• sure start centres were shut

• child benefit froze for 3 years

what do marxists think of the policy change by the NR

• w/c will be at a disadvantage

• poverty trap

what do feminists think of the policy change by the NR

• more pressure on women to do the care

what were some policy changes made by the 2024 labour

• cut to the health component of the benefits

• under 22’s cant claim health benefits

what can the inverse care law be used to criticise

state welfare

inverse care law

• the people who need the most get the least and the people who need the least get the most

class inequality

• receive more funds in education as children are more likely to stay in education

• more likely to use public services e.g. library

• more likely to use public transport

ethnic inequality

• some EMG’s have english as a second language and so struggle to fill out the benefit forms

• ethnocentric curriculum

• black women have a double disadvantage

gender inequality

• gender pension gap

• women are more likely to suffer through poverty (maternity)

• maternity only pays £184 per week