Looking to the Future – Welfare

The next article in our series ‘Looking to the Future‘ is Welfare.

Even after an event there will be people who will be unable to work or who will require Welfare. Although it will be different to the Welfare we have now where people are currently able to sit idly around supported by others. The Welfare after an event will again take us back in time to when people who needed help were helped via charitable means. It worked fine for years before the Welfare state was even thought of.

It is easy to assume that Welfare will not be necessary but people may need help for various reasons, such as;

• Sometimes people just need a hand up. For example someone who prepared yet lost everything because of a fire or a storm. Communities come together in those circumstances to rebuild and resupply so they can get on their feet.
• Some people just cannot work enough to feed themselves. Disabled people can contribute what they can but it may not be enough to feed them throughout the year. Again, communities provide help and goods for work, direct or indirect charity.
• When people are ill and need temporary help. Communities supply labour and supplies to help. Someone will do some housework for example whilst someone will help with the children and feed them if necessary.
• Death of a family member may cause issues. Again, people rally around and provide help and sustenance, help with arrangements and help with the children.
• Refugees with nothing may appear needing refuge. Communities can integrate them into their midst, build homes and help them get started in feeding themselves.

Where there will be a difference though is someone who can work but decides not to. They will find that, perhaps initially, they will be helped but that will soon dry up as people do not like to be taken as fools. There will be no one taking money from others to give to that person as Charity will be at the whim of each person.

Which means that how each will contribute to Welfare will depend on their individual situations and feelings, I would suspect that there would be difficulty straight away after an event where people are unsure what the future will hold and do not want to take chances. In tight situations people will keep their charity to their immediate family and close friends. This will not be good for those that can not live on their own. People will look closely at the circumstances and although I would like to see people helped I suspect that may not happen unless they are part of a larger group who have prepared, or can provide, for additional needs. Some people may decide not to contribute. It will change though because as we become more affluent we also become more generous.

Welfare, Charity, or the right thing to do. Most of us will help people where, when and how we can. It is in our nature to help and we will do so when we believe it is necessary and each will help in their own way. Someone may supply food, someone else could help with a crop, someone can babysit. Human beings can be very compassionate even with total strangers and we also know that it could very well be ourselves needing help next month. You never know what will happen.

One thing to consider; It is inevitable that some preppers would lose everything in the aftermath of an event and could find themselves in trouble surviving. If they are not far from yourself you could find yourself with another group looking to join you. This is one reason you should not let people, such as myself, know the full extent of your preparations. OPSEC is critical. However, if this does happen, consider the advantage that a group with the right mindset joining you will give you in the survival stakes. Some investments give more return than others.

Next up is Manufacturing.