ABSTRACT
The Beveridge Report struck the public imagination to such an extent that, in spite of initial hesitations over accepting such an ambitious scheme in the middle of the war, the Government was eventually obliged to commit itself in principle to implementing it. In its essentials it was to be embodied in the system of social insurance introduced by the National Insurance Act of 1946 which came into operation in July, 1948, and also of the unified National Assistance system introduced at the same time. The history of the social services in the post-war period is largely that of how far the system inspired by the ideals of Beveridge has proved appropriate to the unforseeable changes and needs of a society experiencing a rapid rise of incomes. In order to discuss these problems, this chapter considers the characteristics of the system set up in the early years after 1945, and culminating in the great social security and health measures of 1948.
