The Beveridge Report and the Creation of the Welfare State

In December 1942 the government released a report authored by Sir William Beveridge in which he wrote “A revolutionary moment in the world’s history is a time for revolutions, not for patching”. His report laid the foundations for Britain’s post war welfare state while the world was still at war. This resource is based on an exhibition that was held in the Library Gallery at the London School of Politics and Economics in January – April 2018 to mark the 75th anniversary of the publication of the Beveridge Report and the 70th anniversary of the Welfare State.

Images and textual evidence for this resource are taken from the heritage collections in the Library of the London School of Politics and Economics (LSE). William Beveridge’s papers are held in LSE Library as are papers belonging to numerous politicians, activists and campaigning groups.

Transcripts and images of original documents are provided on the powerpoint slides and the teachers’ notes provide support contextual and background information. These resources can assist with learning activities around the understanding of causes and consequences, making links between different perspectives and awareness of the roles of different individuals, ideologies groups and ideas. References are made to the perspectives of historians writing on this area and finish with different historiographic approaches.

Supports aspects of the schemes of work for:
• Edexcel Paper 1, Option 1 H: Britain Transformed, 1918 – 1997. Theme 2: Creating a Welfare State
• AQA 1G Challenge and Transformation: Britain c. 1851 – 1964. The impact of the Second World War on British politics – The Labour Landslide of 1945 and Developments in social policy – the Beveridge Report
• AQA 2M Wars and Welfare: Britain in Transition, 1906 – 1957. Part Two. The Emergence of the affluent society; Section 2: the People’s War and Peace, 1939-1951. The social and cultural impact of ‘total’ war – the Blitz and plans for reconstruction.