Modern welfare state development is generally considered to lead
to social security or benefits payments, social housing
provision, health provision, social work and educational
services. Together these services are known as the 'big five'
but these services tend to develop over time and have differed
in quantity, availability and quality. Provision and development
can change due to social, economic and political factors
(Spicker, 1995, p. 3). State provision of welfare has a long
history, in Britain for instance dating back to the Elizabethan
Poor Laws and earlier. Welfare states started to develop when
surveys of poverty by people such as Charles Booth showed the
inadequacy of welfare provisions that could not deal with
poverty particularly with increasing urbanisation and
industrialisation (Thane, 1996, p. 7). The worldwide depression
from 1929 would lead countries to consider further welfare
developments. High unemployment (12% of the working population
in Britain at its worst) showed that better welfare