Welfare is the provision of a minimal level of
well-being and social support for all citizens, sometimes referred to as public
aid. In most developed countries welfare is largely provided by the government,
and to a lesser extent, charities, informal social groups, religious groups,
and inter-governmental organizations.
The welfare state expands on this concept to include
services such as universal healthcare and unemployment insurance.
Welfare can take a variety of forms,
such as monetary payments, subsidies and vouchers, or housing assistance.
Welfare system differs from country to country, but welfare is commonly
provided to individuals who are unemployed, those with illness or disability,
the elderly, those with dependent children, and veterans. A person’s
eligibility for welfare may also be constrained by means testing or other
conditions.
Welfare is provided by governments
or their agencies, by private organizations, or a combination of both. Funding
for welfare usually comes from general government revenue, but when dealing
with charities or NGO’s, donations may be used.
WELFARE SCHEME IN MY COMMUNITY
The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) is a welfare scheme by
the government aimed at low –income farmers. To qualify for the RSS you must be
getting a social welfare payment. In return, people participating in the RSS
provide services that benefit rural communities.
The Department of Social Protection
has overall responsibility for policy in relation to the Rural Social Scheme,
including eligibility criteria. The Department monitors the implementation of
the RSS and supports the various bodies that manage the RSS locally. The
Department may also inspect any Scheme and visit projects. At a local level,
the Scheme is managed by implementing bodies such as local development
companies.
WHAT TYPE OF WORK IS CARRIED OUT BY
PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN THE SCHEME?
The
type of work carried out by RSS participants includes:
·
Maintaining and
enhancing various walking routes (that is, way marked ways, agreed walks) and
bog roads
·
Energy
conservation work for older people and those at risk of poverty
·
Village and
country side enhancement projects
·
Social care and
care of older people
·
Community care
for pre-school and after-school groups.
·
Environmental
maintenance work maintained and care-taking of community and sporting
facilities
·
Projects relating
to non-for-profit cultural and heritage centres
·
Community
administration or clerical work
·
Any other
appropriate community based project identified during the course of the scheme
HOW MANY HOURS’ WORK IS INVOLVED AND HOW
LONG DOES THE SCHEME LAST?
You work 19.5 hours peer week. These
hours are based on a farmer friendly schedule. This is to ensure participation
on the scheme does not affect a your farming activities. If you get a place on
the scheme, you are offered a contract from your start date up to the following
31 March. You may be considered for a further term following the initial
contract, if you continue to meet all the criteria for the scheme.
The local management decides on your
applicant. While it is not intended that anyone would remain on the scheme
permanently, there is no definite time limit for participation.
If you are eligible for the scheme
but don’t wish to participate, your dependent spouse, civil partner or
cohabitant may take the available place. However, this is only if neither of
your are participating in any other similar scheme, (for example, the community
employment scheme.) The rural social scheme operates independently of the
community employment scheme (CE).
RULES
·
The rural social
scheme provides a supplementary income for low-income farmers who are unable to
earn an adequate living.
·
It provides job
for the young unemployed in the community.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF RICE-BASED
FARMING SYSTEM
The scheme aims to sustain rice
cultivation and to augment the average productivity to more than 3 tones per
hectare. To achieve this objective, a rice-based farming system approach is
envisaged based on group farming concepts and group contact system enabling
farmers to adopt improved production technology and scientific package of
cultivation suited to each agro-climatic condition. The comprehensive State
Food Security Project 90% centrally sponsored Rice development programme, RKVY
programme for paddy development, Local Self Government’s paddy schemes etc.
will be integrated with scheme wherever possible for enhancing productivity,
reducing cost of cultivation and for increasing overall income from the land.
The group farming smithies will be
revitalized through the SHG mode and the activities will be concentrated mainly
in the predominant rice growing areas of the state. Short and long term seed
programme will be implemented under strict norms of seed legislations and
monitored by seed Development authority. Infrastructure support will be provide
with the active involvement of group farming Smithies. Support will be given to
the II Paddy development agencies for inputs like seeds, soil ameliorants,
purchase of modern agricultural machinery construction of goodowns etc. based
on the approved plans. A revolving fund will be provided to seed Development
Authority for creation of infrastructure facility, operationlisation of program
and to make it self-reliant.
The revitalization of group farming
activities will be concentrated in 1.43 lakh ha predominantly in rice growing
tracts of the community. The objective of the group farming programme is o
implement a package of measures capable of making rice production more attractive
by reducing the cost of inputs, providing infrastructure and adopting modern
farming technology through a group approaches, as to instill confidence among
paddy farmers. Under the group-farming programme, problems faced by individual
farmers are eased out and solved by group activity. The farming activities in
each padasekharam are undertaken in each season in a co-ordinate manner as per
an approved plan.
Activities proposed for group action
1. Mechanization
of land preparation for cost reduction
2. Use
of uniform seed of an identified high yielding variety for each padasekharam
3. Pre-planned
sowing and community nursery rising
4. Preparation
of soil map for the padasekharam and need based nutrient application based on
soil test data of padaskeharams following nutrient management practice with use
of bio-fertilisers, organic manures, green manures and chemical fertilizers.
The inputs will be arranged from depots to fields jointly.
5. Community
weeds control using weedicides
6. Organizing
joints plant protection operations following IPM
7. Application
of soil ameliorant to correct soil Ph
8. Following
uniform crop rotation practices including raising of pulses /green manure /
vegetables in the rice fallows
9. Mechanized
harvesting and carrying out post harvest operation on a group basis
10. Organizing
seminars, campaigns, harvesting meals participating the farmers and to
highlight their achievements.
The
advantages of the scheme in my community includes
There is a supreme percentage decrease in homelessness.
There is also a fall in crime rates.
Provides basic living needs for single parents,
sufferers and disabled (basic apartment payed for by government partially
taxpayers money), transport payed for and 45 pound a week.
The
disadvantages of a welfare state system includes;
A person can receive payment without working or contributing
to society eg. Charity work.
It can demean a child’s inspirations to achieve to
earn money as they will end up with money.
REFERNCES
R.M. Blank (2001). “Welfare Programs, Economics of,”
international Encyclopedia of the social and Behavioral Sciences, pp.
16426—16432, Abstract.
Sheldon Danziger, Robert Plotinck (1981). “How income
Transfer Programs Affect Work, Savings, and the Income Distribution: A Critical
Review,” Journal of Economic Literature 19(3), pp. 975—1028.
R.11 Haveman (2001). “Poverty: Measurement and
Analysis,: International Encyclopedia of the social and Behavioral Sciences,
pp. 11917—11924. Abstract.
Steven N. Durlauf et al., ed. (2008) The New Palgrave
Dictionary of Economics, 2nd Edition:
“social insurance” by Stefania Albanesi. Abstract.
“social insurance and public policy” by Jonathan Guber
Abstract.
Welfare state”
by Assar Lindbeck. Abstract.
Nadasen, Premilla, Jennifer Mittelstadt, and Marisa Chappell,
Welfare in the United States A History with Documents. 1935—1996. (New York:
Routlege, 2009). 241 pp. ISSBN 978-0415-98979-4