Welfare is the provision of a minimal level of well-being and social support for all citizens, sometimes referred to as public aid. In most developed countries welfare is largely provided by the government, and to a lesser extent, charities, informal social groups, religious groups, and inter-governmental organizations.
In the Roman Empire, the first emperor Augustus provided the 'congiaria' or grain dole for citizens who could not afford to buy food every month. Social welfare was enlarged by the Emperor Trajan. Trajan's program brought acclaim from many, including Pliny the Younger. The Song dynasty government (c.1000AD in China) supported multiple programs which could be classified as social welfare, including the establishment of retirement homes, public clinics, and paupers' graveyards. According to Robert Henry Nelson, "The medievalRoman Catholic Church operated a far-reaching and comprehensive welfare system for the poor..."
In addition, welfare in North American English commonly refers to government-run social security programs, i.e. welfare programs or welfare payments, the financial safety net for the poor and needy. In the United States the term "welfare" has developed negative connotation due to its association with dependency. Examples of usage in this sense include:
Welfare state, the concept of government playing a key role in individual economic and social well-being
Welfare fraud, intentional misuse of welfare programs by providing false information
Welfare queen, a pejorative term for a person accused of collecting excess welfare payments
SHAH ALAM. Victims of the Putra Heights gas pipeline blast have been urged to register themselves with the Welfare Department at the temporary relief centres (PPS) by Sunday (April 6). Read full story ... .
In a significant victory for animal welfare, authorities and advocacy groups joined forces last Sunday to dismantle a large-scale cockfighting operation north of Greenville... × This page requires Javascript ... kAm(.E9 4@?E.?F65 56E6C>.?2E.@?k^Am.
A woman who was bitten by an off-leash pitbull in Paphos has called for stricter enforcement of dog control laws after experiencing dog attacks by unrestrained animals in public areas ... The pitbull jumped onto my dog and attacked him ... ....