An Ideal State
is a Welfare State, a country that has a system of ensuring the welfare of its
citizens by the means of social services, provided by the state. At the
national level the Government is responsible for the National Health Service, National
Insurance and Social Security.
When people work
they must pay contributions to the National Insurance fund. Contributions are also
made by the employer and the Government. National Insurance benefits are
available to the unemployed, the sick, the retired, the disable, the widowed
and every child. Social Security covers a wide range of payments, mainly to
people who do not qualify for National Insurance payments. The main social
groups who claim Social Security benefits are: single parents, the long-term
unemployed, and pensioners whose pension is too low. People in full-time work
whose earnings are below a certain level can claim benefits, too.
In Ideal Welfare
State some categories of people are entitled to financial help:
- Retired
people/pensioners receive state/retirement pension;
- Women whose
husbands die before they retire if they are aged 45 or over receive widow`s
pension; - Women who leave work to have a baby receive maternity pay;
- Every child
until he/she leaves school or longer if the child continues educations (up to
19) receive child benefit;
- A person who is out of work for up to a year
receive unemployment benefit;
- Families with
children who have very low incomes receive family credit;
- A person who
is unable to work after a sickness period receive invalidity pension;
- Disabled
people receive mobility allowance to pay for transport or to buy a special
vehicle.
Medical
Insurance is organized by the Government and is compulsory. The country doesn`t
spend a lot of money per person on health care. Despite the storage of money,
the system of medical care works well. Citizens spend a small proportion of
their wealth on health service, because of its simple administration. In spite
of being poor, you can get good medical care. Although Welfare State has public
health care, it has a private sector, too. There is a little cooperation
between public health care service and the private sector.
In the Welfare
State, most benefits are available to everybody who is entitled to them and
it`s very good. In the Welfare State nobody is allowed to live in poverty.
Everybody is to have proper health care and education regardless of their
income. The Welfare State helps the disabled. The Welfare State system provides
the elderly with an income that allows them to live some degree of dignity.
Without financial help many people would have been reduced to begging.