The Australian social security system was developed to serve the needs of reconstruction following the second world war. In the following 50 years, profound economic and social changes have challenged the assumptions and structures of that system, demanding new responses to unforseen problems. This book, a completely rewritten and expanded edition of the authors' Australian Social Security Law, Policy and Administration examines the history of the welfare state, analyzes concepts of need and poverty, considers the new citizenship theory, weighs the policy choices and dilemmas confronting social security, and presents the programs developed to meet specific social insecurities: unemployment, disability and sickness, and sole parenthood. The authors conclude that Australian society is set on a course which is likely to intensify the poverty experienced by many Australians. The social security system will face intense demands. Its responses must be informed by a rational understanding of the policy choices and their social and individual implications, and by a grasp of the right of all Australians to a full participation in society.