In this episode of CSS Breakdown: Book by Book, Season 06, Episode 20, we delve into Chapter 20 of Norman Lowe's Mastering Modern British History (Fourth Edition). We explore the profound shift in British governance from the late 19th century to 1939, moving from a philosophy of minimal state intervention towards the gradual emergence of a Welfare State. The episode will cover the critical debates between individualism (or self-help) and collectivism (state intervention), the surprising revelations of poverty surveys by figures like Charles Booth and Seebohm Rowntree, and the landmark Liberal social reforms of 1905-1915. We also examine the significant challenges and limited successes of inter-war social policies, particularly regarding unemployment, housing, education, and pensions, all set against a backdrop of economic decline and the persistent problem of structural unemployment. Join us as we uncover how Britain wrestled with the fundamental question of the state's duty to its people.