The welfare state[1], would have provided housing benefit (possibly council housing), child benefit, child care, income support for low earners, tax credits, free school meals, free dental&#x2F;vision etc. On top of this we have the NHS, and a reasonable state education system.<p>Though I&#x27;m guessing that the parent (in both senses of the word) went through this quite a while ago - since the 80&#x27;s, successive conservative governments have made cuts to welfare programmes&#x2F;spending, which has been responsible at least in part for bringing social mobility to a standstill in the UK.<p>1: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Welfare_state_in_the_United_Kingdom" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Welfare_state_in_the_United_Ki...</a>