Benefits Flashcards
What was provision for the poor based on in 1918
-The Victorian Poor Laws
-The Liberal Reforms of 1906
When did the pre war liberal government introduce unemployment assistance and what were the terms
-1911
-Included 7 shillings a week compared to national average of 20 shillings (still low)
-Money had to be collected from labour exchanges to end it e men looked for work whilst they claimed
Where had most poor relief came from until 1914
-Poor relief had been mostly administrated by local voluntary and charitable organisations
What belief spread during the early part of the 20th century
-It became widely accepted that it was the governments responsibility to take care of the unemployed
Unemployment Insurance Act 1920
-National insurance was extended from 4 million workers to 11.4 million by 1921 (Benefits were still very low)
-Benefits were increase to 75p for men and 60p for women
-Bus drivers warnings = £3 a week
What did Lloyd George believe about the 1920 Unemployment Insurance Act
-Believed that the insurance would be self financing
-However the act covered millions of non contributors who were impacted by mass unemployment after the 1921 recession
Reasons the government didn’t reduce their contributions to welfare provision for the unemployed during the 1920s
-The need to support and stop unemployment problems like those seen after WW1 and early 20s
-Fears that poverty might lead to a revolution like Russia in 1917
-The desire to support soldiers who had fought in WW1
-Labour party came into power in 1924 with the ‘ for the many not the few’ manifesto
The National Economy Act 1931 (terms)
-Introduced a means test for unemployment benefits.
-Benefits could only be claimed for 6 months
-Introduced the Public Assistance Committee
-If you had children who were over working age (24) you couldn’t claim
What was the Public Assistance Committee
-Introduced as part of the National Economy Act 1931
-Checks the benefit claims to ensure that the benefit system is not abused
The unemployment Act 1934
(Built on the changes introduced in 1931)
-Reversed 10% cut in unemployment assistance benefits
-Payments were made at a lower rate than between 1931-34
-Means testing of the long term unemployed continued
Why was the means test (National Economy Act) hated
-It disqualified short term workers (felt in wales and Tyneside)
-Impacted the poorest workers in the lowest paid jobs
-Benefits could only be claimed for 6 months
-Couldn’t claim if you had children over working age (24)
How did the government attempt to ensure the safety of a lot of the population during WW2
-Children, some women and the disabled were evacuated from industrial cities to the countryside to escape the aerial bombing
What were the middle class families shocked by during the evacuation of WW2
-Many were shocked by the conditions of the people arriving from cities
What were the conditions of the poor children when they first arrived at middle class homes during the evacuation
-City children often had poor clothing (sometimes dresses in rags), suffered from developmental illnesses like rockets and polio, often poorly educated and suffered from a lack of clean air
What was the impact of the evacuation
-It highlighted the need for social reform and helped to a change attitudes as the WC was mixed with MC
When was rationing introduced
January 1940 onwards
(Had been planned previously)
What happened to British diet during WW2
-Some argue that it improved as a result of rationing because less healthy foods were replaced with foods like fruit and veg which could be easily grown.
Was alcohol and tobacco rationed during WW2
-No but it became even more expensive as supply declined
When did the rationing of clothes start during the war
-June 1941
-Yearly allowance of 66 coupons per person
How many coupons did a lady’s dress cost during the war
About 11 coupons
How many coupons did people get for clothing during the war
Yearly allowance of 66 coupons
What type of clothing did people start wearing during WW2
-Utility clothing to save on materials and help with the war effort (E.G Jeans)
-Some people say that quality improved so people continued wearing them after war
Why was washing clothing difficult during ww2
-Restrictions placed on coal made washing more problematic as coal was needed to heat water.
-Soap was also rationed
-However, utility clothing like jeans didn’t need to be washed as often
Consequences of rationing
-Black market- items became available illegally and only a certain section of society could afford them
-A genuine feeling that rationing helped to equalise society and that everyone was making a sacrafice
-Rationing continued after the war and people began to resent it
-Some labour policies were inspired and things such as subsidised milk and heating fuel for new mothers continued after the war
Who published the Beveridge Report 1942
Sir William Beveridge
What 5 Giants did William Beveridge say that everyone has a right to be free of
-Idleness (Caused by a lack of jobs or inability to gain employment)
-Squalor (Caused by poor housing)
-Ignorance (Caused by a lack of education)
-Disease (caused by inadequate health provision)
-Want (Caused by poverty)
The gov has the responsibility look after the people from ‘cradle to grave’.
Who became minister of health in 1945
Aneurin Bevin
The National Health Service Act
-1948
-Provided access to treatment from doctors, dentists and opticians etc
Impact of the National Health Service Act
-Doctors, dentists and opticians were inundated with patients seeking treatment they previously could not afford
-Prescriptions rose from 7million per month before the NHS to 13.5 million per month in September 1948
Limitations of the National Health Service Act 1948
-Development was hampered by the country’s outdated hospitals
-By 1950s, the NHS was costing £358million per year
-The government had to backtrack on its principle of a free service- charges introduced for glasses and dental treatment
National Insurance Act
1946
-Provided financial protection in the event of unemployment or sickness
-Applies to all adults
-Workers received 20 shillings a week (42 shillings for married men)
-The elderly received pensions
-Established and minimal living conditions for the unemployed
-Financial assistance given for funeral arrangements
Limitations of the National Insurance Act 1946
-Criticised for the large number of officials who were needed to operate the scheme
-Welfare benefits in 1948 were only 19% of the average industrial wage- well below subsistence level
-Many more people than expected were forced into applying for national assistance
-In 1949, 48% of all national assistance went to supplement retirement pensions- this rose to 68% by the late 1950s
-Did not provide for those who were not in work and had not made contributions
-156 contributions were needed for cover to take effect
Industrial Injuries Act
-1946
-This provided for compulsory insurance against industrial injury for all employees.
-Industrial injury benefits were to be paid at a higher rate than for ordinary sickness.
-Compensation payments were paid by the state, rather than by individual employers.
Limitations of the National injuries act 1946
-Compensation was paid by the government not employers
-The government footed the bill for injuries at work
The National Assistance Act
-1948
-Provided financial assistance to the unemployed
-Provided for the elderly, who had not been paying into the national insurance scheme during their lives
-Established standardised minimal living conditions for the unemployed
-National Assistance boards were set up to help citizens with insufficient resources to meet their needs
Limitations of the National Assistance act 1948
-It was means tested
-The amount of financial assistance you received depended on the amount of money/ valuable owned by your family
-Benefits were set too low
-Many citizens remained below the subsistence level
-Many of the elderly were reluctant to apply for assistance (believed to be a stigma attached)
New Towns Act
-1946
-12 new towns planned in order to reduce overcrowding
-Stevenage, in Hertfordshire was the first new town created under the act
-8 were intended to accommodate the overspill of population from London
-2 were set up in County Durham
Limitations of the New Towns Act 1946
-Still a serious shortage at the end of labours time in office
-High demand for housing still existed
-The 1951 census revealed that there were 750,000 fewer houses than households in Britain (the same level of homelessness in 1931)
Housing Act
-1949
-Councils could buy houses in disrepair and make improvements
-Householders could apply for assistance to make improvements
Limitations of the Housing Act 1949
-Poor housing and homelessness were still serious problems at the end of the labour administration in 1951
Education Act
-1944
-Local authorities had to provide primary, secondary and further education
-Secondary education was compulsory until age 15
-Meals, milk, and medical services = provided at every school
-The 11+ exam introduced
Limitations of the Education Act 1944
-Seen to be socially decisive and highly contentious
-Sone say that little had been done to enhance the opportunities for WC children
-The secondary sector was largely neglected
What did the labour government use to maintain almost full employment (post ww2)
-Nationalisation
By 1946, what did unemployment decrease to
2.5%
What industries were nationalised
-Steel
-Iron
-Coal
-Gas
-Electricity
-Railways
Etc
Limitations of Nationalisation
-Did little to improve the working efficiency of these industries
-Supported by taxation money, these industries had limited incentive to be profitable
-Wages and working conditions remained generally unimproved
What did Seebohm find when he investigated social conditions in York in 1950 again
-Primary poverty had gone down to 2% from 36% in 1936
Despite improvements what problems still needed further social reform to deal with the 5 Giants
-Adequate houses, schools and hospitals were still in short supply
-Deprivation and poverty had been reduced but not eliminated
-Inequalities in society still existed (Gender, race, disability etc)
