How Successful Has the Welfare State Been in Delivering Equality?

The majority of those who have a reasonably satisfactory understanding of the welfare state will agree that the definition entails; a nation whereby the government undertake appropriate action to ensure the provision of social goods and benefits. These welfare programs are usually provided at public expense with little or no cost to the recipient of the services. Policy prescriptions advanced by proponents of the welfare state emphasise securing a minimum standard of living for all of the population where no one is denied an essential service which might be available to others. This includes the production of social goods and services, the control of the business cycle and the manipulation of total output to allow for social costs and revenues. In Britain and certainly most other European countries the term `welfare state' has acquired a broad meaning. Here, the policy areas most concerned with the term `welfare' are; income security, health, social housing, education and the personal social services. The reason as to why these five services have been integrated into the definition of the welfare state in the united kingdom is indistinct, yet `seems to be based on the notion that these services share a common orientation towards meeting individual needs' (Taylor-Gooby and Dale, 1981: 3, Goodin, 1988: 11).

Policies for equality can vary depending on many factors, however, there are three main types that policies for equality can aim at. Equality of treatment involves treatment without bias, prejudice or special circumstances applying to people. Equal opportunity can be the opportunity to compete, or the chance to compete on the same footing as others. Equality of outcome refers to the idea that resources are provided ...

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