21st Century Welfare

This report, bringing together Ipsos MORI’s latest research, examines the giant evils as conceived by Beveridge, places them in the context of today’s society and explores how they are  experienced. By analysing our most  recent work, as well as drawing on wider data, this report shines a light  on public opinion towards the giant evils, the factors that shape it and the implications for policy-makers.

We may not talk about want anymore, but poverty is still a major issue, with a cross-party agreement to reduce it and a change in how it is measured and defined under discussion. Idleness is  rarely used as a term to describe the unemployed, but unemployment is still a problem and there is a constant tension between how to best help those without  their own income while, simultaneously, making sure there are still incentives to look for work. Ignorance is expressed, instead, in terms of aspirations and  attainment. The diseases we face have changed as our lifestyles have evolved, and while the programme of slum clearance and new town development  helped lift a great many out of squalor, problems with affordable, suitable and  sustainable housing remain. This report also seeks to identify new ‘evils’ that  our society faces, such as how to fund increasingly long retirements and social care.

At the Ipsos Social Research Institute, we remain committed to sharing the messages from our research in the belief that a better understanding of public opinion will lead to better social outcomes and service design. If you would like to discuss any of the issues raised in this report, please do get in touch.