Social security
Social security, also called social welfare, is a duty of the state to provide a minimal access to the basic needs such as food, education and medical care.
It is defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of1948:
- "art. 22 — Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality."
The concept was born in France during the Age of Enlightenment, and figures in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789:
- "Art. 2 — The goal of any political association is the conservation of the natural and imprescriptible [i.e., inviolable] rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, safety and resistance against oppression."
The social security policy is usually applied through various programs designed to provide a population with income at times when they are unable to care for themselves. The model for modern government social security programs was developed in 1883 by Otto von Bismarck under the title soziale Sicherheit.
A distinction is made between Social security and social welfare systems in many countries.
- Social security is seen as providing assistance to retired workers, often in the form of a superannuation scheme that provides a pension, that workers have contributed to throughout their working lives. Workers may also contribute to some form of insurance scheme that provides income and assistance in the event of injury or illness for them and their families. While the scheme may be compulsory, the contributions or historic income often determine the level of support provided, once basic elegibility criteria such as age or inability to work are established. In some countries, social security includes a scheme of publicly funded medicine.
- Social welfare is generally seen as financial assistance provided to those who have basic needs, such as food, clothing and housing, but are unable to afford those basic needs due to poverty or lack of income because of unemployment, sickness, disability, or caring for children. While assistance is often in the form of financial payments, those eligible for social welfare can often access health and educational services free of charge. The amount of support is enough to cover basic needs and eligibility is often subject to a comprehensive and complex assessment of an applicant's social and financial situation.
For the specific program developed in the United States see Social Security (United States)
The term social welfare has a different meaning in economics. See welfare economics.
See also
