We British have had our Welfare State since 1948. We take it for granted that we have free healthcare according to need; that we have social care to fall back upon if all else fails, and to protect us from ourselves; and that we have a system of benefits to save us from penury.

Several million of us also have secure jobs in health, social care, and the benefits system. Each day, families are supported, children’s safety is attended to, illness is diagnosed and treated, and financial support is given to those who would otherwise be destitute. Often this goes well, if not very well indeed – and we don’t really know what we’d have done if the support wasn’t available.