Do generous Welfare benefits lead to dependence and laziness?

Exposé Politique & international Questions sociales

Date de publication :

26/01/2007

Langue :

Anglais

Format :

.doc

Nombre de pages :

3 pages

Niveau :

grand public

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Sommaire :

Sommaire

Generous welfare state benefits: perverse effects and disincentives
1. Unemployment and poverty traps lead to dependence on social benefits
2. while lazy free riders abuse the system
Versus social justice and solutions to defects
1. Democratic and social requirement
2. Overcome welfare-dependency: inclusion and self-determination

Résumé :

Before 1945, the fight against poverty and social exclusion was organised around charity. Firstly, the Church used to take care of the most destitute thanks to donations: the institution could build some refuges in order to help people in need. Hence, poorest people were relieved from misery thanks to small groups which depended on individuals, on private organizations. Then, the socialism theory claimed for a state intervention in the fight against poverty, through means such as social benefits, production of collective goods, a market regulation, and fight against external effects. The emergence of the welfare state was indeed based on special needs and this social protection is meant to protect the individual from social risks (oldness, employment, health, family and exclusion). This collective management of risks aimed at anticipating unsure changed, linked to human activities that aren't due to the individual's will.
However, critics on the efficiency of the welfare state are stronger. Its creation was to respond to a particular context and nowadays, the social protection has to face to new challenges, to new disapproval. As Mark Latham says it, the idea of 'dependency' is at the centre of those critiques. According to the Petit Larousse 1996, "dependency" is defined as the "state of a person who cannot carry out any more alone the acts of the everyday life". But to be more specific, "welfare state dependency" could be understood as an excessive rapport of subjection, subordination to welfare benefits. In return, some point out that this dependency triggers off laziness and idleness.
Hence, do we have to condemn totally generous welfare benefits insofar as they favour dependence and laziness? Aren't they necessary to the social cohesion and the carriage of a certain standard of living? By introducing activation policies, doesn't the welfare state is trying to overcome those critiques?
First of all, we have to acknowledge that relying on social benefits can lead to dependence and laziness and cut down any self-determination. But despite its defects, the welfare state responds to the need of social justice and aim at be as efficient as possible.