Learning the Different Welfare Types Around the World
The government has to make sure their citizens are taken cared of in any way possible. Aside from providing security from outside dangers and building structures that could ease they way of life for their people, the government should also formulate different programs that could help everyone in need. It’s a must for every government to have this type of program in place as poverty is always a force that should not be ignored. When poverty is controlled, people will enjoy their current way of living and focus on what they can do for their family which ultimately helps the country’s development in different aspects.
One of the most visible programs of the government in dealing with poverty is welfare. Every government has different types of welfare programs in place that covers different types of individuals. Although there are subtle differences on welfare implementation, its objective is the same worldwide: welfare is used to provide assistance for families and individuals who cannot earn enough with their current standing. By providing the much needed assistance to families and individuals, the government could somehow curb poverty and prevent the drastic effects that poverty could do to a society. Because of the repercussions that can be caused by poverty, the government has to make sure poverty is limited to ensure smooth community progress.
From Church Aid to Government Responsibility
The early roots of welfare came from church funded activities in directly helping the poor. One of the emphases of the Islamic Law is to provide assistance to those in need. The Catholic Church also started some form of assistance to those in need however; their help is often on providing basic provisions such as food and shelter. Complementing the aids offered by their churches are wealthy private individuals who simply wanted to extend their wealth to others.
When it comes to government-funded aid, one of the first enacted laws was England’s “Poor Law”. Enacted in 1601, this is basically a law that allowed parishes (churches) to foresee and maintain welfare assistance to the poor. This was revamped during the 19th century with the establishment of workhouses wherein the poor are given remuneration for their work.
It was only during the late 19th to early 20th century that countries developed their own system for welfare. The reason for this is that the concept of “poor” is very broad that everyone could be part of the system. In US, the welfare system only started after the Great Depression when President Roosevelt created the “New Deal” and part of it was to provide relief to the poor and unemployed.
Forms of Welfare Around the World
- Canada - Social welfare in Canada started during the 30s right after the Great Depression. Each province is given the responsibility of running and maintaining different types of welfare programs. Their main form of assistance is on payment transfers, healthcare, education, low-income and unemployment and seniors. Each province could provide additional welfare benefits especially to the disabled and aboriginal citizens.
- France - France features an extensive history on welfare assistance. Their pension system was set-up as early as 1898 and it continues to exist with adjustments from time to time to deal with the pressing economic reforms. They also provide education, housing and healthcare assistance to everyone and they have extensive social assistance for families especially those who are going on maternity leave.
- Japan - Japan’s welfare program is mainly on providing financial assistance to elderly, disabled and single parents. The government has also set-up an extensive pension program which involves assistance from the companies and government departments of the retiree. Their pension program has three stages wherein the beneficiary is granted different types of aids and pensions depending on their work and earnings.
- Latin America - The current social programs in Latin America are short term financial assistance wherein the beneficiaries are often the poorest communities. This type of social program started after the economic struggles of different Latin American countries during the 80s. Before making the changes, the government’s program is only focused on those who are working. They believe that improving the workforce will eventually push everyone to employment and therefore to social services offered by the government.
- USA - Before the Great Depression, attempts to create programs that could provide assistance to the poor were unsuccessful. The first program that aimed to provide help to the poor was only in 1932 with the creation of “Emergency Relief Act.” President Roosevelt signed the law that allowed the government to spend $300million in providing relief during the Great Depression. The first law that formalized the programs for assisting the poor was on 1935 with the Social Security Bill. Subsequent laws were further created for additional help such as aid to the family in 1940 and unemployment benefits in 1996.
Critiques of Welfare Programs
Even though welfare programs could provide the much needed assistance to some members of the community for long term stability, it does have some critiques. Most of the critiques against the system are their argument of fraud wherein some individuals could use welfare just to earn money without actively looking for work. It has also been argued that welfare payments are not enough and this often leads to illegal activities as those who are already in welfare do not want to lose their benefits if they find a source of income. Another challenge to the system is the lack of government manpower to prevent fraud so that funds will not be misappropriated.