Canadian Social Welfare - Essay Example

Social welfare was developed as a result of Canada trying to redeem its masses from the negative effects of the great depression in the 1930s and those of the Second World War in 1945. The Canadian government wanted its people to gain social, political, and economic stability and that is why the governments present amended laws and enacted new legislation to ensure stability. These social welfare services were in the form of hospitalization reforms, unemployment acts, higher education, and vocational reforms among others which were present in those provinces.

In the depression period of the 1930s, the economy in the majority of the countries was down and cases of massive corruption were reported all over. Canada at this period became centralized to consolidate all its resources for easier distribution to everyone and it did this through the social welfare system. The Canadians at this point were unemployed and the new government under the rule of Bennet came up with Dominion Unemployment Relief, a legislature meant to provide people with relief as a form of social welfare service (Ferguson 34).

Social services like hospital care and insurance, and old age services offering people work at minimal wages in relief camps were provided by the government to ensure everyone got the services despite the depression looming at this point and unemployment being the order of the day. After the Second World War, people lost their jobs and had nothing more to do until the Korean War. The government therefore as a way to sustain its people continued with the centralized government and also continued with the social welfare it had carried out during the depression period.

The family allowance Act ensured that parents received monthly payments to take care of their children. The government provided social welfare services to its citizens after the depression by giving them employment and this also took place after the Second World War. People still wanted the government to continue with the social welfare program after the Second World War, and this put pressure on the government to continue. Under the governance of Louis St. Laurent which is the one that experienced most of the social pressure, there was the initiation of social welfare services like public housing, federal hospital grants, and also assistance programs for the disabled in society.

Changes in the pension and old age security and where even the aboriginal people were offered cash benefits were also experienced.