Re:Imagining Welfare

Revolutionary at the time, Britain’s social security system has evolved in ways that would be unrecognisable to its founder, William Beveridge. The system is no longer, primarily, a temporary safety net; the contributory principle has been eroded to such an extent that it barely exists; conditionality is applied to an ever-diminishing proportion of claimants; and costs are spiralling. Those with the greatest needs are often underserved because the caseloads are too high to enable greater generosity. And the approach to support is impersonal, top-down, and distrusted.

The 'Re:Imagining Welfare' workstream will plot a new way forward, and this requires being clear on what the purpose of the welfare state is, and, crucially, the principles – values – that underpin it.

We believe the system:

• must be fair to both those receiving benefits and those funding them;
• should provide a safety net for those who find themselves in need, and that support should be as temporary as possible;
• should show greater generosity to those for whom paid work will never be expected due to a disability or health condition, but that the gateway to this additional support should be strict and should not be provided via income-replacement benefits;
• should embed conditionality for all but those deemed unable to ever work, with claimants required to engage in tailored support to address barriers to work;
• should provide that support via local areas, not through a national service that is cumbersome, bureaucratic, and distrusted; and
• should be built to incentivise better outcomes for individuals, families, and the taxpayer at every stage.

This is our starting point, and from this we will put forward a blueprint for a new model – rooted in legitimacy, responsive to today’s demand, and sustainable for the future.

Read Chief Executive Charlotte Pickles' launch essay here.