Document Analysis of The Beveridge Report The Beveridge report was a very radical change in British social policy in 1942. The fact that this policy was written in the middle of the Second World War

Document Analysis of The Beveridge Report

The Beveridge report was a very radical change in British social policy in 1942. The fact that this policy was written in the middle of the Second World War was an extremely important factor as it addressed a great deal of issues directly affecting the British population in a very difficult time in its history and William Beveridge knew that it was an opportunity to make good from something so bad. William Beveridge was said to have wrote this report for all British citizens ‘from the cradle to the grave’.

The report tackled some very important issues of the day, such as a flat rate of subsistence benefit which meant no matter what any one person may earn, if their employment is interrupted for any reason they would all receive the same amount of benefits from the state. The next provision of the social security reforms meant that all employees irrespective of their means would make the amount of contributions to the state in taxes. These were seen as very radical reforms at the time, but however government believed this was the only was forward in reforming social security. Other provisions of the new social security policy were, adequacy of benefit, comprehensiveness, marriage needs, divorce, and an unmarried person living as a wife.

William Beveridge also stated in his report that all of these provisions would be set out on three assumptions, these were that, child benefits would be given until the age of 15 and 16 if the child was in full time education, comprehensive health and rehabilitation services for prevention and cure of diseases would be available to all and also there had to be maintenance of employment so the country would not fall into mass unemployment. Mass unemployment was if the country had more than 3% of its labour force out of work. If these three assumptions were adhered to ...

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Prior to the Second World War, there was the National Insurance Act of 1911, which stated that all workers between the ages of 16 and 70 would contribute to their national insurance and in return they would receive free healthcare, with medicine also being prescribed.Therefore, the Beveridge Report can be seen to be adding to the National Insurance Act of 1911, with these new policies.

Although he Beveridge Report was an innovative set of policies to stabilise the future of Britain, like any other piece of legislation it had its shortfalls. One prime example of this was the benefits received by divorced women. If a woman is divorced or legal separated from a man, through no fault of her own then she will receive the same benefits as a widow. However, if the woman is divorced from a man, through her own fault then she will receive temporary benefits and then will not receive any more thereafter.

The significance of the Beveridge Report at the time it was released in 1942 was very important. Although the Beveridge Report was presented to parliament in 1942, the changes were not implemented until after the end of the Second World War.

The Beveridge Report was revolutionary in contrast to before the Second World War because most people in Britain were not benefiting from the then current system of social insurance.

http://www.answers.com/William%20Beveridge (25/11/05)

http://www.psi.org.uk/publications/archivepdfs/Victims/VV2.pdf (25/1/05)

Watts, D. Tories, Unionists & Conservatives, 1815-1914. Hodder Murray, London (2002)