Published in 1997, the is the report of a study commissioned by the Department of Social Security (UK). The aim of the study was to provide detailed information about the social assistance systems of four European countries which, to a greater or lesser extent, are delegated to local levels of government. The study distinguished between policy-making, finances, delivery and accountability. The strengths and weaknesses of each system were evaluated and common and divergent trends noted. There is growing interest in social assistance schemes internationally and this publication provides original information about European schemes. It follows an earlier study, also commissioned by the DSS, on social assistance schemes in 24 OECD countries.

Social Security forms a major area of government policy and social expenditure. Government activity in this area impacts directly on all citizens, and consequently social security policy is the focus for much debate. People are affected by social security whether by funding it through taxation, or using it when claiming unemployment or other benefits. Introduction to Social Security is an up-to-date text on this important and complex social policy issue. It provides a second introduction for students of social policy and administration and includes contributions from some of the best known and most respected names in the field.

Social Security forms a major area of government policy and social expenditure. Government activity in this area impacts directly on all citizens, and consequently social security policy is the focus for much debate. People are affected by social security whether by funding it through taxation, or using it when claiming unemployment or other benefits. Introduction to Social Security is an up-to-date text on this important and complex social policy issue. It provides a second introduction for students of social policy and administration and includes contributions from some of the best known and most respected names in the field.

Published in 1997, the is the report of a study commissioned by the Department of Social Security (UK). The aim of the study was to provide detailed information about the social assistance systems of four European countries which, to a greater or lesser extent, are delegated to local levels of government. The study distinguished between policy-making, finances, delivery and accountability. The strengths and weaknesses of each system were evaluated and common and divergent trends noted. There is growing interest in social assistance schemes internationally and this publication provides original information about European schemes. It follows an earlier study, also commissioned by the DSS, on social assistance schemes in 24 OECD countries.

The Beveridge Report of 1942 captured the public imagination with its principle of universal social insurance in Britain; it became, and remained a benchmark for social security planning and its influence has been international. Beveridge's idea was to use universal benefits to remove the poverty caused by certain contingencies, such as unemployment, or retirement. This book considers the influence of Beveridge's ideas on social security, and argues that the reality, over the subsequent fifty years, has been very different from the principles and from the vision he expressed. The first part of this volume outlines the context within which the wartime report was written, the concessions that were made before implementation was possible, and the history of the postwar social insurance system. The important aspects of the social insurance system are considered in depth, such as the state pension, and the principle of flat- rather than means-tested benefits. The second part deals with the diverse responses to Beveridge's recommendations in several countries: Germany, Poland, Holland, Israel, Sweden, and Australia. Despite a move away from universally available benefits to means-tested income support, the editors argue that Beveridge's important legacy has been the notion of a national minimum income: a safety net covering all, and they assess the continuing relevance of Beveridge's thinking for the future of social security.