Where did Social Security Originate?
By Wendy Polisi
The notion of the state helping its poor, disabled, and elderly has existed since the creation of the concept of a state. In antiquity, states employed diverse systems with varying degrees of success. Usually the burden fell on the families to take care of the disabled and elderly and the state often stepped in to support the general poor in one way or another.
With the collapse of the classical world and the rise of feudalism in Western Europe, many of these responsibilities were assumed by the Roman Catholic Church. Through most of the medieval period the Church alone ran hospitals, poor houses, and other services meant to help the poor and indigent.
While in the Spanish and French colonies the Roman Catholic Church was still in charge of the charitable activities, in England there had been a religious revolution and the state began handling hospitals, poor houses and other services. The colonists that left England for the Americas brought with them the idea of the state supporting the poor.
In 1602 England past the first major law intended to provide and help the impotent poor: the Act for the Relief of the Poor. Young children without guardians, the elderly, blind, crippled, and those suffering from debilitating diseases were included in this definition of impotent poor.
Usually this relief meant free clothing and food (the parish loaf) that was given to the poor. There were also almshouses in some areas that would care for the elderly who did not have anyone to care for them.
The Overseer of the Poor was the local official that administered these programs of caring for the poor. This local overseer was to function within a parish area and become very familiar with the poor people so that he could differentiate between the deserving and undeserving poor.
It was then up to that person to assistance where it was appropriate. While this idea had merit, it led to corruption and abuse because the overseer had ultimate control over the people he was to help, even their ability to live.
Although the Poor Laws were instituted by Parliament and represented national law in England and Wales, it was implemented locally at the parish level, there was no national or regional infrastructure created to evenly distribute resources. This meant that the amount of relief received directly correlated with the wealth of the area.
Each parish was allowed to impose a poor rate or local tax that was ostensibly meant to provide relief to the poor. Like the granting of relief, the local tax was also enforced by the Overseer of the Poor, leading to further abuses. The system usually worked because these impotent poor were not mobile and able to move from place to place for better relief. This is at least part of the reason that these benefits were not provided to the other classes of poor, who were generally able-bodied and able to travel.
Until the 19th century this system of public assistance remained in effect and came to America with the English colonists. Though seemingly barbarous by any modern measure, the Poor Laws of England were considered reasonable by the citizens. Today, the 1601 definition of the impotent poor still helps to determine those who qualify for Social Security benefits because of their circumstances and abilities.
Wendy Polisi is one of the founders of SocialSecurityInsiderSecrets.com With the help of Pete Black, who was a manager for Social Security Administration for 34 years, they provide insider information to those who want to know how to maximize their social security retirement benefit
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