New Unit – Health and Wealth Intermediate 2 Modern Studies

Brainstorming… What do you think are the main health and wealth issues in Scotland today? Create a mind-map or bullet-point list.

CREATION OF THE WELFARE STATE Intermediate Modern Studies

What I will learn: What the term ‘welfare state’ means. What the ‘five giants’ are. What the ‘collectivist’ approach is.

What is the ‘Welfare State’? A ‘welfare state’ is a system under which the government takes on responsibility for providing social and economic security for the population by means of pensions, social security benefits, free health care and free education. The government provides for people in times of need.

Liberal Reforms At the beginning of the 20 th century, the foundations of the welfare state were established by the Liberal government. The first pensions were introduced in Paid to people 75+ and means tested National Insurance Act provided some support for working men in times of need.

The period between the First and Second World War was one of financial crisis, economic depression and high unemployment. Little progress was made in developing further the creation of the welfare state.

Beveridge Report The development of the welfare state as we know it today began with the publication of the Beveridge Report in It was produced by Sir William Beveridge.

Beveridge advocated welfare services to tackle what he saw as the five evil social giants. Five giants: WANT, DISEASE, SQUALOR, IGNORANCE and IDLENESS. After World War Two, the Labour government tried to tackle these five problems.

1. Want People should not be desperately in need of money. Idea of ‘social security’ developed. The government set up a comprehensive range of benefits for the young, the old and those of working age who were unable to work.

Examples: child benefit, sickness benefit, housing benefit and state retirement pension. Government funding to be gained through general taxation of the working population.

2. Disease Everyone to have health needs met, regardless of income. The National Health Service was set up in 1948.

3. Squalor Everyone to have adequate housing. Slum housing in big cities torn down. Programme of council building started. ‘New towns’ were built in Scotland: Cumbernauld, East Kilbride, Glenrothes, Irvine and Livingston.

4. Ignorance Every child to leave school with a decent level of education. School leaving age gradually increased to 16. Comprehensive schools set up for all children years. End of 11+ exam.

5. Idleness Aim to achieve full employment – a job for every person able to work. The government ‘nationalised’ many of the private companies – eg. ‘British Rail’ and ‘British Steel’. As the government was now the major employer, it believed it could control the amount of jobs available.

The ‘Collectivist’ Approach The 1945 Labour government created the ‘welfare state’. The Labour government adopted the ‘collectivist’ ideology (belief) towards society – the whole country would work together to meet the needs of all people. The wartime spirit had brought about a collective response to the nation’s problems.

This government abandoned the ‘laissez- faire’ approach – where individuals were left to fend for themselves. In turn, the ‘individualist’ approach was abandoned – where people were left to solve their own problems. The welfare state set up by the post- war Labour government aimed to provide care from ‘cradle to the grave’.

Have you achieved the lesson objectives? 1.What does the term ‘welfare state’ mean? 2.Name the ‘five social giants’ identified by the Beveridge Report. 3.What does a ‘collectivist’ ideology mean?