William Henry Beveridge, 1st Baron BeveridgeKCB (5 March 1879 – 16 March 1963) was a British economist, noted progressive and social reformer. He is best known for his 1942 report Social Insurance and Allied Services (known as the Beveridge Report) which served as the basis for the post-World War IIwelfare state put in place by the Labour government elected in 1945.