Social welfare policy refers to government programs that aim to promote the well-being of individuals, communities, and society as a whole. These programs provide assistance to those who are in need, such as the poor, unemployed, and marginalized in society. Social welfare policy includes a wide range of programs, such as healthcare, empowerment, housing, food assistance, energy and utilities subsidies, education, and childcare.

The history of social welfare policy in the United States dates back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries when government programs that helped to ensure social welfare, such as pension and insurance programs, took hold in Europe to assist industrial workers and those in need. The first large-scale social policy program in the United States was assistance to Union Civil War veterans and their families, which provided pensions and disability assistance. From 1890 to the early 1920s, the U.S. provided what Theda Skocpol characterized as "maternalist policies," as it provided pensions for widowed mothers.

Social welfare policy is made at local, state, and national levels in the United States, with its tradition of federalism or shared government. Policy is made by the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government in the form of laws, executive orders and administrative regulations, and court decisions. Social welfare policy research areas include systems of care for children/families/elderly, community, organization and policy development, race, class, and gender, health and healthcare disparities, violence and victimization, and mental health and prevention/intervention.

Social workers play a crucial role in advocating for and helping people access the social welfare supports they are entitled to. They focus on social welfare policy to help protect clients from factors that can worsen their quality of life. Social welfare policy guides programs that offer public services as well as financial and other assistance to meet specific needs. These programs frequently target sectors of society most in need, such as the elderly or retired, sick or permanently injured, those living below the poverty line, new parents, and the unemployed.