Includes bibliographic references (page 241-249) and index.

List of illustrations -- Acknowledgements -- What is social policy and why is it relevant to you? -- Which benefits do you recieve from social policy, and who receives the most benefits? -- How and why has social policy developed cradle to grave entitlement to benefits for you? -- Do you pay too much tax for the social policy benefits you receive? -- Can spocial policy solve the problems of polcy? -- Should entitlement to social policy benefits be for some people or for everyone? -- Which welfare needs should social policy be responsible for meeting? -- Who should social policies? -- What does the future hold for social policy? -- How can your ideological beliefs make and change social policy? -- Is relying on social policy benefits over a long time an easy life / Simon Heng -- Why is studying social policy releveant to you?

This title takes social policy back to its basics. Each chapter systematically breaks down the subject to equip students not only with knowledge of the theoretical themes and perspectives which underpin social policy, but also of the relevance of social policy in everyday life.