ABSTRACT
The discourses and policy options that refer, directly or indirectly, to a past society characterised by widespread feelings of solidarity and a willingness to care for one another seem to be supported by historical research. Historical research has also shown though that, given the many restrictions and conditions imposed, obligations to support one's aged parents could be enforced only in exceptional circumstances. In early modern England too, religious denomination could be the deciding factor in providing alms to an individual or a family, as research into active Puritan communities. Research at the local level has demonstrated that only a minority of the destitute received an allowance, that it was virtually impossible to support an individual or a family. Depending on the economic circumstances, local power relationships and the stages of the life cycle, systems of income pooling were created which differed in their vulnerability.
