蒙大英语国家-英国概况教案06-2 British Family and Welfare (II)

1、Lecture SixThe Welfare State(By Wang Yan)What is a welfare state?A welfare state is a concept of government where the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable dist

2、ribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those unable to avail themselves of the minimal provisions for a good life. The general term may cover a variety of forms of economic and social organization The operations of the welfare state are in four main partsNational insuranceNational Health

3、ServiceSupplementary benefits are provided for people whose incomes are too lowServices for the benefit of childrenHistory of Welfare StateBrief History of Welfare State in BritainHelp serviced by parishes ,early 17th cent.Poor Law of 1834 discouraged people from applying for relief, the unemployed

4、made stay in “workhouses” “Oliver Twist”, 1837Major Reform in 1908 - National insurance schemes founded, enabling some people to cover medical & retirement cost.Foundations of what came to be known as “the Welfare State” WorkhousesWorkhouse, WinchesterWorkhouse, AndoverThe Poor Law in 1834OLIVER TWI

5、ST Charles DickensDickens Centre, Rochester Summer House -Portsmouth MuseumHouse he bought at his home townLibraryAims of the post-World War II welfare legislationThe most radical and widespread reforms occurred after the Second World War in 1945. The measures introduced then were based upon a famou

6、s document, the Beveridge Report of 1942. The main aims of the legislation which followed the Report wereLord William Henry Beveridge, 1879-1963 Main Aims of Legislation after the Beveridge Report to create a system where housing, health services and social security (payments for unemployment, old a

7、ge, sickness, disability, children) would be provided for all, as an egalitarian safety-net below which nobody would be able to fallto establish a National Health Service (1947) for all to receive free diagnosis, treatment and hospitalisation when necessary.WELFARE IN BRITAIN THE PRESENTThe three ma

8、in areas of welfare provision in Britain are health, housing and social security The post-war welfare structure has always been a combination of public and private provision From the 1980s those who could afford to have been encouraged to provide for their own health and retirement by paying into pr

9、ivate insurance schemes. Despite these changes, there are still a wide range of state benefits available to those in need. (a) Social SecurityFor those who become unemployed, sick, or who are working on a low wage with a family to support, they may claim either job seekers allowance, income support

10、or working families tax credit. DSS processes these claims Other benefits available include the Social Fund which is used to make one-off payments in emergencies or for special necessary purchases sickness benefitwidows pension and widowed mothers allowancedisablement allowance if you are badly disa

11、bled HealthThe National Health ServiceAlthough since the 1980s some changes have been made in management, the principle of comprehensive and free medical treatment for all, based upon need rather than the ability to pay, is still the central philosophy of the service. HousingHousing82% of households

12、 in Britain live in houses rather than flats. This compares with 60% in France and 35% in Italy. Housing in Britain is either privately owned or provided by funds from the government as the public sector. The government controls the proportion of private and public housing provision in a number of w

13、ays through its housing policy HousingPublic Sector Housing Past & PresentPart of the philosophy behind the Beveridge Report was that the State should be responsible for the provision of adequate housingnobody need be housed in squalor minimal standards of housing should be set Local government auth

14、orities were to be given responsibility in ensuring that an adequate housing stock was available in their authority and in maintaining the standards set by government Housing1950s and 1960s Post War slum clearanceThe 1980s: Sale of Council HousesMany people disagreed with this policyLocal Council Re

15、sponsibilitieshe local council still has a number of responsibilities to provide adequate housing and meet special housing needs in its area, usually through the local Social Services Department Private Sector HousingHousing BenefitsHelp with housing costs has always been part of the provision of th

16、e Welfare State, either for people on low incomes or for people unexpectedly or temporarily out of work through illness or unemployment. This benefit is administered by local governmentThe 1961 three-bedroomed semi-detached house depicted above is typical of those now standing on the Clober estate.

17、It has white-painted roughcast walls and a tiled roof. Semi-detached Houses Detach House Detached HouseCouncil HousesFlatsLondon Flat1930sLawn Road Flats1933-1934Housing Crisis in Britain*England faces a housing crisis within the next 20 years, with a potential shortage of more than one million home

18、s leading to overcrowding and rising levels of homelessness, a leading social research charity claimed today60,000 homeless households in temporary accommodation & over I,000 people sleeping rough problems to be solved by Social Exclusion Unit. Housing shortages are set to become one of the most significant social issues of the next 20 years. Simon Pa