Is Welfare Unchristian?
The cost of living has increased, and more families are finding it harder than ever to make ends meet. Don’t be fooled by all the flashy gadgets you see everybody with. Luxury items, like the latest mobile phone have been made cheaper, but necessities like healthy food and water seem more expensive than ever. As a result, Universal credit and other benefits provided by the government are now a vital source of income for many families in the country.
It was announced last week by Chancellor Rachel Reeves that the two-child benefit cap will be scrapped in April at an estimated cost of £3bn a year by 2029-30. This is good news for those with growing families. Discussing the Budget on a podcast, Kemi Badenoch argued that welfare spending should be reined in, not increased, and that the onus of government policy should be on incentivising people to work. She suggested that using high tax rates to fund welfare was a contradiction of the Bible and Christian tradition. This debate between the two political parties is typically motivated by acquiring votes, power and influence – not genuinely helping those in need. It touches on the immigration issue that is currently trending and the rhetoric of the stereotypical migrant who comes with a boat load of kids. Much could be said about immigration from a biblical worldview on another occasion. My aim here is to point out that while the bible clearly encourages hard work and familial support, that welfare is not unchristian.
Atheism says, “survival of the fittest,” and “just let nature take its course and those who can survive will.” In the Old Testament, God commands Israel that when you harvest your land you shall not reap your field right up to its edge but leave them for the poor and for the foreigner (Lev 23:22). Proverbs 19:17 says, whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. Deuteronomy 15:11, For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore, I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ In Matthew 25:35-40: Jesus teaches that caring for the poor is akin to serving Him directly. He states, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me... Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” God has made it clear that the care of widows and orphans is a top priority for Him and should be also for His people (Malachi 3:5; Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 24:20; James 1:27). One of the first ministries of the early church was the feeding of widows (Acts 6:1), but even this act of “welfare” had stipulations as seen in 1 Timothy 5:9–10. Welfare through the church was limited to widows who were destitute through no fault of their own and had no family to care for them (1 Timothy 5:3–8). We are not to encourage laziness, or apathy. Rather we should give generously with a degree of discernment.
Perhaps you’ve heard stories of people manipulating the welfare system; by choosing not to work so they can live off government handouts, or by misrepresenting their income levels. Stories like this should not surprise us—we live in a world corrupted by laziness and greed and sin. There is no system on earth that escapes some level of manipulation and fraud. Yet, estimates from fullfact.org suggest that the system isn’t as riddled as you might think. In 2022/23, the UK government estimated £6.4 billion was lost to benefit fraud. That’s about 2.7% of total benefit spending. While billions sound large, the percentage shows that the vast majority of benefits are paid correctly. The total benefit spending is well over £200 billion annually, so fraud represents a small fraction of the system.
With all that being said, the current welfare system is failing as it does not encourage people to work their way out of it. This Is where Kemi Badenoch has a point: earn £10 too much and your tax increases while you lose a percentage of the benefits that supported your family. So instead, many consider staying in the same position. Some suggest that this has been the agenda all along, to keep people down and dependent. Before we pass judgement on those receiving benefits, imagine how frustrating it is to a person in poverty. To earn enough to climb out of poverty, you’ll have to slog through a period (who knows how long?) when you’ll make less than your family can live on, but without any extra support.
We must watch out for narratives that cause us to judge others unfairly or to withhold our support to the needy. We must have a degree of compassion and love for people as they are made in the image of God. We must always be ready and willing to help and share what we have, for we know that all we have is from God. A look into history will show you that most charities were founded by Christian men and women who had a heart to help.
This topic also highlights the value of being a church member. Belonging to a church sees that you are pastored and discipled; it equips you with a biblical worldview on finance, money management; and the church provides benevolence whilst encouraging you to continue to work hard.
Nonetheless, it is important to remember, that primary purpose of the church is not to provide physical provision but to proclaim the good news of Jesus and make disciples. The church is not called to reform society or to be social justice warriors. The church is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). Jesus fed the poor and healed the sick. Yet those who he fed were hungry again, and the sick eventually got ill again. The point was to show people that He who healed them and fed them can grant them eternal satisfaction and a way of salvation. We must ultimately point everyone to Jesus who gracious to all who come humbly to him.
