New Right Approaches to Welfare
- New Right views flourished during the 1979 – 1997 Conservative administration. Their free-market approach called for a ‘rolling-back’ of state and an expansion of the free-market in the delivery of welfare.
- a free market in welfare allows governments to hand over responsibility of welfare to individuals and their families (voluntary sector) as well as charities
- lower taxation from lower welfare spending will encourage people to purchasing their own welfare provision for example private health-care insurance such as BUPA
- the above two points helps reduce the welfare burden on the state and tax payers
- it also removes the dependency culture, the growth in lone-parenting as both have flourished under an over-generous welfare system
- As welfare burden is reduced so incomes tax thresholds can be reduced
- Individuals are encouraged to take more personal responsibility encouraging more self-reliance
- A welfare safety-net, for the very poor through means tested welfare payments are still provided but at a minimum cost to the state
Evaluation
- only those people with high enough earnings can afford private health-care
- a two-tier health-care system comes into existence leading to better health-care for the rich
- a stigma is attached to claiming welfare when its means tested
- people avoid medical check-ups due to cost e.g. dentistry and so their health declines
sociologytwynham.com 
Leave a Reply