What critical issue did the Beveridge Report of 1942 address?

The Beveridge Report, published in 1942 during World War II, was a landmark document that laid the foundation for the modern welfare state in the UK. Think of Britain at the time: people were enduring immense hardship, and the government was already thinking about how to rebuild society after the war. William Beveridge, a civil servant and economist, was tasked with identifying ways to combat what he called the "five giants": Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor, and Idleness. His report proposed a system of social security "from the cradle to the grave," encompassing universal healthcare, unemployment benefits, and other forms of social assistance. The key idea was that the state had a responsibility to care for its citizens, providing a safety net to protect them from poverty and hardship. While the report didn't directly address ending the war or dealing with enemy nations, its proposals were revolutionary and paved the way for the creation of the National Health Service (NHS) and other welfare programs after the war. So, the core purpose of the Beveridge Report was establishing a comprehensive welfare state, making it the correct answer.