Social Insurance and Allied Services, The Beveridge Report 1942

The Beveridge Report, officially entitled Social Insurance and Allied Services (Cmd. 6404), is a government report, published in November 1942, influential in the founding of the welfare state in the United Kingdom. It was drafted by the Liberal economist William Beveridge – with research and publicity by his wife, mathematician Janet Philip – who proposed widespread reforms to the system of social welfare to address what he identified as "five giants on the road of reconstruction": "Want… Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness". Published in the midst of World War II, the report promised rewards for everyone's sacrifices. Overwhelmingly popular with the public, it formed the basis for the post-war reforms known as the welfare state, which include the expansion of National Insurance and the creation of the National Health Service. It outlines a plan for social security that includes unemployment, disability, and retirement benefits, children’s allowances, comprehensive health services, and the maintenance of employment. The recommendations aim to provide income security through a combination of social insurance, national assistance, and voluntary insurance. The report emphasizes the need for coordination between state and individual efforts to establish a national minimum standard of living and to leave room for voluntary actions to improve upon that minimum.