Why the labour government made a welfare state

• Beveridge report 1942


  Showed the true nature of poverty
• The Beveridge report was very popular among the people of Britain as it proposed a system of provisions from the cradle to the grave
• People expected the elected post war government to deal with the problems identified in the Beveridge report
• Everyone received their fair share during the war and people wanted this to continue
• People expected the government to do more for them since they had worked hard during the war
• Women took up male dominated jobs and men risked their lives on the frontline during the war
• People wanted a higher standard of living due to their sacrifices in the war
• The war was the first time when all classes mixed, especially in the air raid shelters
• This led to socialising between them and people were much more aware of the issues different classes had
• Many felt that they did not want a return to the class system in Britain
• 4 million homes were destroyed by the Luftwaffe in the Blitz leaving many families without a home
• The destruction of homes made it necessary to tackle the problem of housing, especially slum housing
• There was a greater recognition of poverty due to evacuation and this brought more support for change
• Children from the cities were sent to the countryside and this alerted the middle classes to the poor physical condition of city children