n [ sing ]
the system by which the government of a country cares for its citizens through a range of services provided and paid for by the State, including medical care, financial help for poor people and homes for old people. In Britain the term applies mainly to the National Health Service , National Insurance and social security . The US does not consider itself a true welfare state, but Americans use the terms ‘welfare’ and ‘welfare programmes’ for the various ways the national, state and local governments help people who are poor, sick, old, unemployed, etc. The national programmes include Medicare , Medicaid and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families .
See also Beveridge Report .