Block 6 key points

On the 1930's poverty, unemployment and growing dissatisfaction with inequality led to increasing pressure for better health care, social services and other improvements in living coniditions The second world war was a catalyst for social reform and gave a sense of urgency to the need for an overhaul of the whole system of welfare The Beveridge Report captured the mood for reform by proposing a universal system of social insurance, family allowances and a free health service for all There was widespread public enthusiasm for beveridges plan for the construction of the welfare state after the war Despite its popularity at the beginning. Beveridges scheme has some in-built limitations and drawbacks. The immediate post-war social legislation set the scene for social care becoming the poor relation of health care The welfare state was based an assumptions of continuing high employment and a stable family unit Benefits and pensions were set relatively low, 'subsistence' level, with the result that they provided inadequate to prevent poverty and a return to means-tested benefits on a large scale The Beveridge vision relied on limited gender roles: married women were expected to provide care in the home and their husbands to go out to work Single women providing care at home were undervalued by the welfare state

unit 21