A critical appraisal of the impact on social injustice of the welfare state and associated policies.

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A critical appraisal of the impact on social injustice of the welfare state and associated policies.

‘The most obvious division of society is into rich and poor; and it is no less obvious that the number of the former bear a great disproportion to those of the latter. The whole business of the poor is to administer to the idleness, folly and luxury of the rich; and that of the rich, in return, is to find the best methods of confirming the slavery and increasing the burdens of the poor.’ (Edmund Burke 1756 in Jordan 1998 pg 74)

This essay will attempt to explore the social injustices that are perpetrated by government policies surrounding the welfare state and how this links into social housing allocation and the resulting effects on those who receive such benefits. It argues that the poorer in society are held back and demonised as a result of these policies, whilst those in a more privileged position, whether it be as a result of occupation, education or family inheritance, are able to, on the face of it, profit immensely, with no apparent consideration for the needs and resulting poverty of the majority.

The main part of the essay will explore ‘how and why?’ a small minority have more than they could ever hope to use or need and poses the question as to whether or not a fairer system could be developed aiming to ensure that everyone within society maybe afforded equal opportunity for success and growth.

It explores the problems associated with this utopian view and how these could be overcome to ensure a more just society for all, including a society where every child, regardless of family circumstances, would be afforded the same opportunities in regards to education, employment, life expectancy and potential earning.

Finally, it will look at the implications for a society of equals, i.e. is this type of society realistically possible in a 21st century context.

The welfare state in Britain was introduced after the Second World War in order to tackle the problem of mass deprivation and squalor that existed within the country. It was introduced by the Liberal politician, William Beveridge,  who identified the issues facing the nation as being poverty, disease, ignorance, squalor and idleness and in order to ‘defeat these giants, he proposed setting up a welfare state including social security, a national health service, free education, council housing and full employment’ ()

Whilst this was a much-needed provision in post-war Britain, the policies developed, are still actively in place in modern Britain, yet they are no longer serving the interests of those people whom they initially set out to assist.

 The policies have been redefined and modified over the years, yet the basic ideals are still in place, as it is believed that basic human rights such as food, shelter, health and education are still as relevant today as they were back then. Whilst these may still be relevant, the extent to which the relevance is true has shifted greatly. What one person may define as a basic income is not necessarily what is required for another person to exist. What one policy may determine as an adequate home for a family or individual may not necessarily be seen as adequate by that specific family.

Essentially it comes down to need versus want and how the two can be reconciled in order to create policies that assist those whom they are allegedly developed for, in the first instance.

For example, what started as an inclusive policy regarding welfare within the UK, has now become a stigmatisation that excludes the majority from what we class as ‘society’.

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In today’s world, it seems that the poor become poorer and the rich become increasingly richer - Where is the equilibrium that was initially identified?

In today’s society where those individuals who exist on welfare benefits and live in social housing are increasingly demonised by the rest of society as perpetrating all the ills and problems that exist within society - Does something revolutionary need to be done to redress the economic imbalance that exists between the rich and the poor?

This topic has been explored by Reiman in his essay entitled ‘Rich get Richer and the ...

This is a preview of the whole essay