Welfare in Australia has never been studied as comprehensively as one might have expected, given its political and economic importance. This book is the first major overall study of the welfare system since the work of T.H. Kewley.

Its coverage of issues is extensive, beginning with a brief history of welfare in Australia, with reference also to the international context, and a look at attitudes of social science to welfare. A later chapter looks briefly at inequality in Australia, though this is rather skimpy on data and does not look at recent research on the distribution of wealth.