BRITAIN: IMPACT OF THE LIBERAL REFORMS

Question 1

impact of the liberal social reforms

Introduction Background

Answer 1

1. In the 1800s British society and government did very little to help poor and vulnerable people, the idea of ‘laissez-faire’ charactereised government thinking at this time, believing that the state was not responsible for the problems that impoverished people and that these problems would fix themselves.
2. This meant the poor had to rely on charity and risked being placed in the Poor House - where the porest people of all ages would go to get very basic needs met in exchange for difficult work - this was a great shame and showed inability to provide for oneself and their family.

Question 2

Introduction - Line of Argument

Answer 2

The Liberal Reforms were/were not effective OR fully/did not fully meet the needs of the British people.
They achieved significant changes, most especially for the elderly.

Question 3

Introduction - Listing Factors

Answer 3

In this essay I will address how the Liberal Reforms aided the elderly, young people, the sick, workers and the unemployed.
(do a 4 factor essay)

Question 4

THE ELDERLY - background

Answer 4

1. Many old people had to work ‘til they dropped’ and rely on charity at the end of life before the introduction of the Old Age Pensions Act in 1908
2. Pensions were betwen one shilling and five shillings for one pensioner and eligibility was means-tested

Question 5

THE ELDERLY - for and against

Answer 5

FOR - By 1914 there were 970,000 people recieving pensions, with 90% of those receiving the full payment which showed the need and demand for Old Age Pensions
AGAINIST - Pensions were available at 70 but the life expectancy in 1911 was c. 49 for men and c. 50 for women. This meant that many did not live to claim Old Age Pensions and indeed had to work until death due to poverty.

Question 6

(children’s charter)

YOUNG PEOPLE - background

Answer 6

1. Victorian children had very litle protection from problems inc. abuse, poverty or dangerous work and were often incarcerated with adults - facing sexual abuse and indoctrination into crime.
2. The 1908 Children’s Act aimed to change this by having a set of rules designed to protect children, especially those in extreme poverty.

Question 7

YOUNG PEOPLE - for and against

Answer 7

FOR - The charter introduced a minimum age to smoke and drink (16) and included setting up juvenile courts and borstals as an alternative to prison to protect children from addiction and a life of crime.
AGAINST - Not all parts of the law were introduced in 1908 meaning it did not help as many children as possible. The range of rules meant it was difficult to truly enforce, like normalised drinking, begging and smoking underage.

Question 8

THE SICK - background

Answer 8

1. The National Insurance Act 1911 was based on David Lloyd George’s experience of a similar scheme in Germany - he argued that Britain should be at ‘level’ with Germany
2. This law was in two parts, the first creating a sick-pay scheme - which involved workers having to pay in 4 pence a week whilst at work, if they were off due to illness then they were paid 50 pence per week for 13 weeks then 25 pence for the next 13 weeks.

Question 9

THE SICK - for and against

Answer 9

FOR - People receiving sick pay were also eligible for basic healthcare treatment too. This allowed them to see a doctor and be treated for illnesses such as Tuberculosis.
AGAINST - Sick pay was only paid for 26 weeks and was reduced after 13 weeks, so workers with major illnesses still faced poverty. Women also received less, with a maximum being 35 pence, so families with women as the only or major earner struggled greatly.

Question 10

THE UNEMPLOYED - background

Answer 10

1. In 1909 the government introduced Labour Exchange. These were places where workers could ‘sign-on’ for benefit payments
2. Employers would be able to advertise their next vacancies there and workers could search for their next employment.

Question 11

THE UNEMPLOYED - for and against

Answer 11

FOR - This ended the need for people to walk around workplaces looking for jobs and improved productivity - by 1914 roughly 3000 people were getting a job each day through the exchanges.
AGAINST - Many people opposed the Exchanges, including trade unions who believed they would lower wages by attracting workers from across the country. Only around 25% of people found work at Labour Exchanges.

Question 12

THE WORKERS - background

Answer 12

1. Liberals passed several pieces of legislation to improve the condition of workers, including maximum working weeks and minimum wages in certain industries.
2. The new Government extended the 1906 Workman’s Compensation Act to cover many more workers.

Question 13

THE WORKERS - for and against

Answer 13

FOR - The ‘sweated trades’ such as tailoring and lace-making were very tolling on their workers, the 1909 Trade Boards Act tried to set minimum wages for these jobs, 200,000 were eventually covered by this.
AGAINST - Most workers were not covered by these laws, however, so did not benefit from any minimum income, and minimum wages took up to nine months to implement and were often low.

Question 14

Conclusion - Link Back/Judgement

Answer 14

ADDRESS THE QUESTIOPN AND USE THE WORDING OF IT
To conclude, reforms brought improvements to the lives of many Britons, but did (not) meet the needs of the British people fully/ were (not) effective in meeting the needs of the British people fully.

Question 15

CONCLUSION - Factor list

Answer 15

THE ELDERLY - Most greatly helped by Liberal Reforms as the most vulnerable were targeted and directly given long-lasting help to allievate poverty.
YOUNG PEOPLE - Very greatly helped by the Reforms through protective legislation but direct action in areas most needed were delayed, unlike help for the Elderly.
THE SICK - The Reforms were quite effective at meeting the needs of the sick but payments discriminated against women, in contrast to equal pensions for the elderly.
THE UNEMPLOYED - The Reforms were somewhat helpful to the unemployed, but the nature of Labour Exchanges meant work was not guaranteed, unlike a steady income through pension payments for the Elderly.
THE WORKERS - The Reforms were the least effective for the working population as support was only given to a small portion of workers in select trades, whereas pensions were means-tested to ensure those who needed support received it.