The provision of welfare in the United Kingdom

Résumé du document

Among all the typologies, which exist within Welfare States, most authors classify the United Kingdom as a 'liberal state'. For example, Titmuss sees the United Kingdom as a 'residual model of social policy', where the needs are met by the state only when the private market and the family have failed, and only in a temporarily way. Moreover, Leibfried extends Titumuss's model by presenting four models, but agrees with him by classifying the United Kingdom as a residual welfare model in which the state is a compensator of last resort. Esping-Andersen, in the famous comparative study 'The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism', describes the United Kingdom as a liberal welfare state characterised by modest universal transfers or social insurance, strict entitlement rules and state encouragement of the market. The typology developed by Korpi and Palme, seems to suit well with the real situation of welfare in the United Kingdom. It is categorised as a 'basic security model' with citizenship as the base of entitlement, and the 'flat-rate' as the principle of benefit level.

Extraits

[...] We can finally conclude that this can create a more cohesive society with a national consensus over the definition of what should be the Welfare State in the UK which would be shared by the right-wing and the left-wing of the political arena. The main consequences of the social policy in the United Kingdom The consequences of the social policy in the UK are obvious in each question. As we have seen in the first question, the recent reform of the social policy in the United Kingdom is the policy of the “welfare-to-work”. [...]

[...] However, these changes will take a long time to be implemented because the tradition of the UK as a liberal state is very present in the minds. For example, Westminster confesses that it will take 200 years before that a real equality will exist in the United Kingdom. Bibliography Books Esping-Andersen, The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism, Princeton University Press Esping-Andersen, Changing Classes: Social Stratification in Postindustrial Europe and North America (editor and contributor). London: Sage Spicker, Paul (2000) The Welfare State : a general theory, Sage Publications, London Articles -Abrahamson Peter (2000), Welfare Modelling Business” in eds. [...]

[...] Because even during Thatcher's government, there was a combination between an economy focus in the market and some measures of social democracy in its policies, especially in healthcare. Even so the rest of characteristics of British model are closer to Liberal model described by Esping-Andersen. The effects of the social policy on the outcomes of men and women The gender pay gap has reduced from in 1997 to in 2007 in the United Kingdom. The reasons for the pay gap are complex. Four main factors can be found. Firstly, the Human capital differences which means differences in educational levels and work experience. [...]

[...] Secondly, the part-time working: many women work part-time which is a major contributor to the gender pay gap. Thirdly, the occupational segregation which means that women's employment is concentrated in certain occupations (60 per cent of working women work in just 10 occupations). And those occupations which are female-dominated are often the lowest paid. In addition, women are still under-represented in the higher paid jobs within these occupations. Finally, the workplace segregation: at the level of individual workplaces, high concentrations of female employees are associated with relatively low rates of pay. [...]

[...] In this way, the people with high incomes have better healthcare, childcare, etc and can go to one of the elitist colleges. Obviously, that circle contributes to social reproduction, hence the short mobility between classes in the United Kingdom. Another characteristic is the relative poor empowerment of the unions, so important in Scandinavian countries or in central countries as France or Germany. The result is a Labour Market where laissez-faire is central. The government is almost invisible in the relations between employers and employees, hence the relative weak position of the workers. [...]