The concern about an uncertain future and the desire for security connect all people in a country. However, state support also creates misincentives, leading to less wealth generation and less to distribute. Based on a brief history of the German welfare state, Charlotte Bartels notes that the protection against income losses is more pronounced than the reduction of income disparities. The uncertainty of labor income has increased alarmingly over the past three decades, particularly for singles and low earners. Despite the reduction of various state benefits, the German welfare state has guaranteed its citizens a nearly stable income profile from 1983 to 2011 when considering income after taxes and transfers. The goal of equalizing income differences has been achieved less and less over the past three decades.