A civilised community

"Who should receive social security? Whose needs are the greatest? Is social security a mark of citizenship or a cause for shame? Should cash benefits provide for basic sustenance or promote a sense of belonging? Does a benefit for sole parents break down family structures? How can the costs of social security be controlled? These questions are not new and have been vigorously debated throughout the twentieth century. Using departmental archives, "A civilised community" traces the history of social security policy in New Zeland from the introduction of the old age pension in 1898 through the passing of the Social Security Act 1938 and up to the recent benefit cuts and the superannuation referendum of 1997. It explores both the major innovations and the serious inadequacies of social security policy in New Zealand and shows how, in the struggle among competing groups for some claim on the public purse, the old have usually gained the most ... This important and lively study illuminates New Zealanders' changing ideals of community over a hundred years and gives a valuable historical perspective to current debates on welfare and superannuation." -- Back cover.