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Welfare
Generally, the well-being of an individual or group. In an economic sense, the term describes governmental benefits or assistance given to impover ished people to enable them to maintain the minimum standard of living. First enacted in Germany in the 1880s, and adopted by most Western countries by the early 1900s, welfare laws and programs can be general or specific.
Welfare is often distributed through programs such as pensions, disability, national health insurance, and unemployment insurance. Individuals or families may apply for welfare due to disability, unemployment, lack of education or job training, or substance abuse. Qualifications vary depending on location and government. While welfare is typically dispensed by monetary means, it can come in other forms such as, for example, tax credits for working mothers. ...