Beveridge and Social Security: An International Retrospective

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.