2.1 Flashcards
what time period did unemployment never fall below 1 mil?
end of 1920 + mid 1940
when did unemployment peak at over 3 mil?
early 1930s
who was the ‘out-of-work donation’ (1918-20) issued to?
returning troops + civilian unemployed until they found work
what 2 important precedents did the ‘out of work donation’ (1918-20) set?
- gov accepted a duty to adequately support unemployed (regardless of insurance contributions)
- it provide more money for family dependants
why was the Unemployment Insurance Act (1920) limited?
- Act was passed after effects of post-war slump began
- rather than creating a self-funding scheme, the greater no. of eligible claimants quickly drained the accumulated funds
by March 1930, how many claimants had been rejected because of the ‘seeking work test’ (created in March 1921 by the Unemployment Insurance Act of 1920)?
3 mil
when was the Local Gov Act + what did it do?
1929
- councils had to set up PACs (Public Assistance Committees)
- PACs were centrally funded + replaced Poor Law Guardians
what were PACs able to do in 1931 due to a financial crisis?
PACs were able to means-test claimants
how many people suffered rejected/reduced claims because of the means-test by the end of 1931 (due to Local Gov Act of 1929)?
400,000
what did the Unemployment Act (1934) do?
- provided 26 weeks of benefit payments to 14.5 mil workers
- created a National Unemployment Assistance Board (UAB) - which assisted 1 mil by 1937 on a means-tested basis
when were state pensions first introduced?
Pensions Act 1908
why did the Pensions Act (1908) face criticism?
- means-tested
- didn’t support widows + children of deceased
when was the Widows’, Orphans’ + Old Age Contributory Pensions Act passed + what did it do?
1925
- pension of 10 shillings/week for 65-70
- provided for widows + orphans
- funded by compulsory contribution (insurance>tax)
when was the Housing + Town Planning Act introduced?
1919
what did the Housing + Town Planning Act aim to do?
to empower local authorities to use central gov funds to meet housing needs
why was the Housing + Town Planning Act limited?
- only 213k/600k homes built
- bc of Geddes Axe -> 822k shortfall of houses in 1923
how many houses were built in total between 1919-40?
4 mil
why was there an important shift in attitude among politicians + the general public, 1939-64?
- ‘total war’ prompted ‘total solutions’ which became popular
- success of state-led war economy increased political + popular belief in the potential of state intervention
- war forced a coalition gov - there was a consensus
when was the Beveridge Report published?
1942
what recommendations were included in the Beveridge Report?
- state should tackle 5 giants of want, disease, ignorance, squalor + idleness
- provision of state welfare to be centralised, regulated + organised
- state welfare should be funded entirely by a compulsory single insurance payment
why did Labour not fully implement the Beveridge Report?
they rejected his call for welfare payments to be met solely by universal insurance (as it would penalise the poor by taking a greater proportion of their earnings)
how did Labour implement Beveridge’s key ideas?
- Family Allowance Act (1945)
- National Insurance Act (1946)
- Industrial Accidents Act (1948)
- National Assistance Act (1948)
what did the Family Allowance Act (1945) do?
provided mums with a non-means tested payment of 5 shillings a week for each child (apart from 1st)
1st payment in Aug ‘46
what did the National Insurance Act (1946) do?
created a compulsory universal contributory system to help pay for pensions + benefits for unemployment, sickness, funeral expenses + maternity benefits
