LONDON -- The moral obligation to help the poor and ensure that they have adequate food and shelter is recognized and promoted by the main religions of the world. The obligation has been assumed by civilized governments worldwide, but implementation varies hugely and there are no easy answers to the dilemmas and contradictions that inevitably arise.
In Britain, the first "Poor Laws" date from 1598 and 1601. Under these laws responsibility for relief of poverty was placed on the parishes in which the poor lived. As a result, parishes were most reluctant to accept into their parishes people who might become a burden on local taxpayers.
Unemployment insurance was first introduced in Britain in the early years of the 20th century. The National Insurance Act of 1946 based on the famous Beveridge Report of 1944 introduced comprehensive social-security provisions in Britain. This was seen as a pioneering development although German insurance schemes introduced in the 1880s predated the Beveridge report.