Great Britain is a Welfare State, * a country that has

Great Britain is a Welfare State, * a country that has a system of ensuring the welfare (обеспечение благосостояния) of its citizens by means of social services, provided (предоставляемые) by the state. At the national level the Government is responsible for the National Health Service,* National Insurance* and Social Security. *
1) The systems of National Insurance and Social Security provide financial help for different categories of citizens.
What categories of citizens are entitled (have rights) to social payments? (listening/reading for specific information)
When people work they must pay contributions (взносы) to the National Insurance fund. Contributions are also made by the employer (работодатель) and the Government. National Insurance benefits (payments) are available (доступны) to the unemployed, the sick and the retired. The disabled are also provided with financial help. Financial help is also available to the widowed. Every child is entitled to a child benefit (or allowance*), whatever the parents income (доход) may be.
Social Security covers a wide range of payments, mainly to people who do not qualify for National Insurance payments. The main social groups who claim social security benefits are: single parents, the long-term unemployed, and pensioners whose pension is too low. People in full-time work whose earnings are below a certain level can claim benefits, too.