ABSTRACT

Within the welfare state social security is a core element. It denotes the responsibility of the state for protection of its citizens from want and this is indeed essential, since only if basic needs are fulfilled are citizens able to access other public services; for instance, going to public libraries, museums or schools. This chapter will describe the core concepts of social security and how these have developed through time. It will then describe the forms of income protection used to realise social security. After that, it outlines the international dimension before giving some conclusions and addressing the main question: Is the definition of social security as developed at the beginning of the chapter still up to date?