In 2011, over 1,467,100 people in Ireland received a weekly social welfare payment, according to a report of Statistical Information on Social Welfare Services. In other words, that is 1,467,100 people who have been saved from poverty in the current economic climate. That is 1,467,100 people who have been supported by their country, when they needed it most. That is 1,467,100 people who have been given what their Government had promised them. Social protection.
So, if the Irish Government were to abolish totally this system of social protection, where would that leave these recipients of this small, weekly payment? What would become of their financial situation? Would they be able to survive? What about those with little hope of finding work, trying to keep both themselves and their families above water?
India, with a population of over 1.2 billion, is the second most populous country in the world, and the most populous democracy in the world. As a developing country, unemployment rate is high, and the working sector is male-dominated, leaving the female population dependent on their male counterparts for financial support. However the Indian government does not supply social welfare of any form to Indian citizens. The Indian population continues to face the challenges of poverty, illiteracy, corruption, malnutrition, and inadequate public healthcare. With an unemployment rate of 9.4% in 2010, 1,128,000 people were in need of financial assistance from their government and were denied it.
For the sake of reducing Government expenditure, is abolishing social welfare worth that damage that it will cause the country? Without social protection, we can expect death rate to skyrocket. We can expect the development of slums on outskirts of cities. Social protection standards, or lack thereof, can determine the social standing of a country.
Any government’s main aim should be to protect their citizens, and in such recessionary times, a social welfare plan is essential to achieve this. To abolish social welfare would be to abolish any social standing of the country. It is the duty of the government to ensure the welfare of their citizens.
J.F