State welfare since 1979
- Conservative welfare policies based on ‘self-help’ led to serious cuts in welfare spending
- Benefits were means-tested, grants to the poor were replaced with loans
- Dental, prescription and eye-test charges were either introduced or increased
- Student grants were replaced with loans
- The CSA (Child Support Agency) was introduced
- By 1997 UK had the highest levels of poverty in the EU and the greatest gap between the rich and the poor
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