What is welfare?
Welfare refers to the various economic benefits that governments provide to specific people or groups of people that meet certain criteria related to their operating activities. These benefits may include food stamps, health care assistance, and unemployment compensation, typically funded by taxation. Government welfare also encompasses the range of public initiatives that offer financial or other support to individuals or social groups who cannot support themselves or struggle to make ends meet. Eligibility for benefits depends on several factors, such as family size and income levels. Government assistance programs are usually financed by the taxpayers and enable people to cope with financial stress during the difficult times of their lives. Usually, people receiving government assistance will get biweekly or monthly payments. The objectives of government assistance can be promoting employment, education or providing a better quality of life.
How does welfare work?
Different states have different benefits for their residents. How much a person can get depends on their financial situation and how it compares to the minimum standards in their state. Some of the factors that affect the size of the family, the disability status and income levels.
The names and functions of the social welfare programs may vary from state to state, which makes it hard to compare them. Also, the eligibility criteria are different based on the poverty line in each state.
This variation is because the cost of living is not the same across the country. This allows flexibility in adjusting the benefits according to local conditions.
Welfare in India
The social sector is part of society that focuses on providing social and economic benefits to people and communities, and charitable donations or public funds support that. The social sector includes health, education, water supply, transport, agriculture, infrastructure, natural resources management, and welfare schemes and services. The social sector is important for three reasons in India and many other developing countries. First, the level of deprivation in the country is too high to be left to the market forces alone to solve. Second, the proportion of poor households that use government services is higher than that of richer households. Third, to ensure clear outcomes in social sectors such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).