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Social Work vocabulary · Welfare and Benefits

Welfare

Meaning in social work, with examples

/ˈwelfeə/nounCore term

In social work, welfare means: A person's health, safety and wellbeing; also the system of public support, such as payments and services, for people in need.

In Turkish: refah, sosyal refah, iyilik hali, sosyal yardım

How it is used

Two common uses: child welfare or the welfare of the child (wellbeing), and the welfare system or welfare state (public support). In US English 'on welfare' means receiving state payments and can sound negative; British English usually says 'on benefits'.

Example sentences

  1. The child's welfare must come first in every decision we make.

  2. Cuts to the welfare budget hit low-income families hardest.

Common collocations

  • child welfare
  • welfare state
  • welfare system
  • welfare reform
  • the welfare of the child
  • benefitsMoney or other support paid by the state to people who are unemployed, ill, disabled, caring for someone or on a low income.
  • social assistanceCash or in-kind support funded from taxes and given to people on low incomes, without any need for previous contributions.
  • povertyNot having enough money or resources to meet basic needs such as food, housing and heating, or to take part in normal life in society.
  • allowanceA regular sum of money paid by the state or an organisation for a particular purpose, such as caring, disability or education.

More terms: Welfare and Benefits

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