Welfare

Welfare can take many forms in various countries or contexts. It may be organized, for example, by charities; informal social groups; religious groups; local or national governments; or inter-governmental organizations such as the United Nations. In the United States and Canada, welfare has a special meaning in politics, referring to financial aid for the poor. In Europe, welfare services tend to be regarded as universal, available to rich and poor alike, thus guaranteeing a minimal level of well-being and social support for all citizens without the stigma of charity. This is termed " social solidarity".

Forms

Welfare can take a variety of forms, such as monetary payments, subsidies and vouchers, health services, or housing. Welfare can be provided by governments, non-governmental organizations, or a combination of the two. Welfare programs may be funded directly by governments, or in social insurance models, by the members of the welfare scheme.

Welfare systems differ from country to country, but welfare is commonly provided to individuals who are unemployed, those with illness or disability, the elderly, those with dependent children, and veterans. A person's eligibility for welfare may also be constrained by means testing or other conditions.

In a more general sense, welfare also means the well-being of individuals or a group - in other words, their health, happiness, safety, prosperity, and fortunes.

Provision and funding

Welfare may be provided directly by governments or their agencies, by private organizations, or by a combination. The term welfare state is used to describe a state in which the government provides the majority of welfare services; the phrase also describes those services collectively.

Welfare may be funded by governments out of general revenue, typically by way of redistributive taxation. Social insurance-type welfare schemes are funded on a contributory basis by the members of the scheme. Contributions may be pooled to fund the scheme as a whole, or reserved for the benefit of a particular member. Participation in such schemes is either compulsory, or the program is subsidized heavily enough that most eligible individuals choose to participate. Examples of social insurance programs include the Social Security and Medicare programs in the United States. States also may support the welfare of its citizens, such as the non-working poor, through direct cash transfers.