The Beveridge Report

The Beveridge Report, published in 1942 by economist Sir William Beveridge, was a plan for creating a comprehensive welfare system in the UK. It identified five key "Giant Evils"—want, disease, ignorance, squalor, and idleness—and proposed reforms such as universal healthcare, social insurance, and improved public services to tackle them. The report aimed to reduce poverty and hardship by establishing a safety net applicable to all citizens, laying the groundwork for the UK’s modern welfare state. Its recommendations influenced government policies and helped shape social welfare as a universal right.