ABSTRACT
The state has a central role in welfare states due to market failure, to ensure fi nancing and/or delivery of welfare goods including what is labelled meritgoods, which can also support a social investment perspective. Historically, the welfare state helped in ensuring social security in case of sickness, unemployment, old age and work accidents. However, even when we know the reasons and arguments for having a welfare state there still remains the question of who should deliver the services. This chapter uses Titmuss’s (1958) understanding
of social policy as the starting point and will explore the three different but often interlinked approaches to the delivery and fi nancing of welfare, namely public, fi scal and occupational welfare. The chapter examines how the three approaches are defi ned and linked (including the possible impact of access to and distribution of resources) and how and if the different types of welfare can be measured. A short empirical overview concerning the level and structure of public welfare will be provided. This will include a discussion of the related measurement issues. The possible impact of fi scal welfare, including how it makes comparative analysis diffi cult, is shown.
