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The Truth About Social Security: How Are Welfare Different from Social Security?
As governments around the world face growing social needs, the concepts of "social security" and "welfare" are discussed more and more frequently. Although the two are often used interchangeably in everyday language, there are important differences between them. Social security mainly refers to a series of economic support provided by the government, including social insurance measures for the elderly, disabled and unemployed; while welfare is a broader concept that covers various types of services that provide a basic standard of living. Services such as health, education and housing assistance. This article will delve into the differences between the two and guide readers to think: Which form of social security is the most effective in meeting people's basic needs?
The definition of social security is not limited to benefits but also includes many social insurance programs such as pensions.
As defined by the International Labor Organization, social security aims to provide old-age support, sickness and unemployment benefits, and assistance to those injured at work. The fundamental purpose of these measures is to ensure that everyone can obtain a certain standard of living in times of financial difficulty or physical frailty. In addition, welfare is not only monetary assistance, but also includes subsidies for social services, such as public health care, education, and housing support policies. This means that the scope of welfare is broader and involves more public resource allocation and social welfare programs.
The welfare system is the health, education and social service system that the government is responsible for.
Historically, the origins of social security can be traced back to grain relief in the Roman Empire, and many subsequent civilizations gradually developed similar systems. The Song Dynasty of China in the ninth century also began to implement various social welfare measures, including public medical care and low-interest loans. These early security systems showed the budding sense of social responsibility and were an early version of the modern welfare state.
After entering the industrial revolution, the social security system evolved rapidly. Germany's social insurance system introduced in the 19th century by then Prime Minister Bismarck is considered the prototype of the modern welfare state. With the evolution of the times, the United Kingdom also launched a number of social security systems, and finally formulated the National Insurance Act in 1946, forming the framework of the modern welfare state.
In today's world, the forms of welfare and social security vary from country to country and region to region. In some countries, welfare is provided primarily by governments through tax funding, while in other places NGOs and charities also play an important role. According to the World Bank report, currently only 27% of the world's population enjoys comprehensive social security.
According to the report, the effectiveness of the welfare system lies in its ability to reach those most in need.
Welfare comes in various forms. In addition to cash assistance, it also includes different types of resources such as social insurance, medical services and housing subsidies provided by the government. These welfare measures usually target the unemployed, the elderly, the disabled and families with minor children. Such a sophisticated system aims to try its best to meet everyone's most basic life needs through various social insurances and Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory.
However, the complexity of the welfare program has also caused a series of problems, including the cumbersome procedures and conditional restrictions that people face during the application process. The report pointed out that some citizens with rights and interests ultimately failed to apply for the benefits they deserved, which further exacerbated social inequality.
Not only the allocation of resources, but also how to master and manage these systems is also an important challenge facing policymakers.
Take Australia as an example. The prototype of its welfare system began at the end of the 19th century. The government gradually established various social security programs, especially during the post-war economic reconstruction period, which found a stable place. However, the effectiveness is often affected by political priorities. Whether the government can insist on fulfilling these responsibilities in the future will become one of the focuses of society.
In contrast, Canada's social security is called "social plan" and covers a wider range of areas, including medical care, education and various welfare benefits. However, because it is a federal system, the implementation and resource allocation of each province may have problems. Inconsistent. The move reflects the tension between administrative efficiency and fairness in providing benefits.
Denmark and Finland are relatively successful in the design of welfare and social insurance. Their welfare state models not only provide financial support, but also include high-quality public services, and have been praised around the world. But at the same time, high taxes and an expanded role for government have led some to question whether such a system is sustainable.
In the future, the world will face new employment models and social changes, and the challenges faced by the traditional wage-based social insurance model will become increasingly apparent. Therefore, how to reshape the social security system to cover a wider range of work forms and social groups will be an unavoidable issue on a global scale.
In short, from welfare to social insurance, the evolution of these systems is not only an economic requirement, but also a symbol of social progress. However, will future social security policies be able to operate effectively and address growing social inequality?
