To dare to look at the Welfare State through the lens of what we know about kindness requires, of course, strong justification. In short, our argument is that focussing on kinship, expressed through kindness, will both improve health and wellbeing, and make our systems of care more effective and efficient. Some of the evidence for this is found before we even open the door to the consulting room or the hospital, or follow the community nurse or social worker into a person’s home. It relates to the dynamics of kinship at a societal and political level.