Abstract
The British welfare state is traditionally understood to be comprised of five main services: health, housing, social security, education and the ‘personal social services’, such as social care and child protection. This book offers an original take on the role of the state in relation to these services, along with three other areas where institutional services have been developed: employment services, equalities and public services, such as roads, parks, libraries and rescue services. Dismissing false and misleading narratives, the book profiles the real problems that need to be addressed and offers inspiration for a better path forward. The book begins with an introduction of the welfare state. Delivering welfare is treated as fulfilling a moral obligation to protect people, and across the world, systems of health and social security are typically delivered by a combination of state, voluntary, and mutualist arrangements. The book then looks into social security, which primarily covers pensions, provision for disability, meeting housing costs, and low-income earners. It then reviews the operation of the National Health Service which has fronted continual criticisms, and preventative healthcare had not been one of the NHS's major focuses. Medical care had been heavily individualised, thus, the concept of public health is not based on arguments by conventional medical care and individualisation. The book moves onto looking at social care, education, child protection, housing, employment services, equalities and human rights, and public services. Finally, the book focuses on the condition of the welfare state. It concludes that the welfare state has a major impact on disadvantages and securing the conditions of civilisation, wellbeing, and security, while the welfare state provisions protect people's rights.
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