Social policy 1964-70

In 1980, the dominant issue of economic and social policy is unemployment. Out of this issue arises a growing confrontation about the causes of and remedies for a figure of over 2 million unemployed. Labour came to power with certain specific social policy proposals on Comprehensive education, rents and prescription charges; but it had no radical social philosophy with which to tackle the structural problems of poverty and unemployment that emerged in the late 1960s. This chapter deals mainly with issues of social security provision during this era. In the early 1960s, a number of Labour Party leaders committed themselves to statements about the high priority that would be given to social service expenditure by the next Labour government. Accordingly, in 1966, the Ministry of Social Security Act established the Supplementary Benefits Commission.