Social Policy has changed

• The way that governments tackle social policy has changed since the Second World War.
• In the 1945-1979 period, the state's policy was quite interventionist.
• The Welfare State, which was set up by a Labour government in 1948, supported families through benefits, public housing, family allowance and free health care.
• People paid into a national insurance scheme to pay for the welfare state. It was universal - everyone had the same benefits and services.