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
