British Society - Welfare Reforms Flashcards
What did the poor people have to depend on?
Private charities or on state established system of poor relief
How did charities help poor people?
Gave money, clothes, food, sometimes accommodation, helped abandoned children who were begging and starving
How many charities were there by 1905?
700-800
Why were some charities set up specifically to help children?
Were future generation, lots were begging and starving. High amounts of starvation deaths
What was the poor law?
Workhouses - provided food and shelter. Humiliating - Giving up responsibility for family and yourself
What did the rich people not know about the poor people?
Unemployment wasn’t their fault in most cases. Wages were too low
What effect did low wages have on poor people in terms of the long term?
Dreaded unemployment, sickness and retirement. Unless they had relatives willing to look after them
How did the Salvation Army help the poor?
Turned them away from ‘sin’ (illegal activities), gave out food and water, had training centres, labour exchanges, farm and brickworks
What did Charles Booth find out about poverty?
Was a greater problem and 31% lived below the poverty line instead of 25%
Which were the 4 classes Charles Booth classed poverty in?
Class A - Lowest, criminals 1.25%
Class B - Casual earners, part time 11.25%
Class C - Occasional earnings, hit by depressions 8%
Class D - Low wages. Can just stay alive
How did Seebohm Rowntree help the poor?
Was a Quaker, gave a lot to charity, treated workers well
What 2 types of poverty did Seebohm Rowntree believe there were?
Primary poverty - Families didn’t stand a chance no matter how hard they worked
Secondary poverty - Living on the edge. Could just survive
What did Booth and Rowntree both find out after their investigations?
Poverty hadn’t been solved and was greater than ever. The victorian idea that poverty was the fault of the poor themselves was simply not true
Describe Seebohm Rowntrees’ poverty line (PP = Primary poverty)
As they’re young - under PP, as they marry - Above PP, Have children - Below PP, Children earn - Above PP, Children leave and labourer retires - Below PP
Describe William Booths’ Circle of Poverty
In middle - Those who live by crime, those who lives by vice, starving and homeless honest poor, those who had secure jobs
What did the New Liberals believe the state should do?
People should be free to work out own solutions and state should provide framework so everyone could live in freedom and security
Who influenced the new liberals?
Charles Booth and Seebohm Rowntree
Why did the new liberals feel sorry for the poor?
Because they believed the new understanding that the poor were rarely to blame for being poor. Some of them could never lift themselves out of poverty
What did some local authorities provide at the end of the 19th century?
Provide clean piped water to all houses, connected them all to sewage systems, lighted and cleaned streets.
What did the Boer war show about the British population?
Thousands of British people were unfit and could’t pass medical examination.
Why was the fact that the British population unfit to fight in the Boer War a problem?
Increasing competition between Ger and USA who had skilled workforce - need to protect empire
Why was the Liberal party afraid of the Labour party?
New policies were popular among poor people who were the majority
How did the Liberal party help children?
Free school meals which a lot of them needed. School medical inspections. School clinic - Help parents pay for treatment
How did the Children’s Charter/ Children’s act help children?
Became protected. Children >14 couldn’t be sent to adult prisons, Juvenile courts set up, Children >14 not allowed in pubs, Children >16 not allowed to buy cigarettes
How did the Labour Exchanges act help unemployed people?
Easy accessible place to see if you could get a job. More efficient for people seeking work and workplaces seeking people
How did the first National Insurance act help people and how much did the worker, gov and employer have to pay?
Workers paid 4d, employers paid 3d for each worker, Gov paid 2d for each worker. If a worker paid ill they got sick pay
How much did sick pay pay workers for how long?
10s a week for 13 weeks, 5s for 13 weeks after that
What was an added bonus to the first National Insurance act?
Workers in he scheme got free medical treatment and maternity care
How did the second National Insurance act help people and how much did the worker, gov and employer pay into the scheme?
Jobs where there was seasonal unemployment e.g. shipbuilding were given unemployment pay. Workers, employers and Gov paid 2d into scheme
How much did the unemployment pay in NI II for how long?
7s 6d a week for up to 15 weeks while unemployed
How did the pensions act help elderly people and how much did someone receive?
Everyone over 70 could claim a state pension. One person received 5s, married couple received 10s
Did the Liberal reforms help all poor people?
No
How did the pensions not help poor people?
Only 500,000 were over 70, not been in prison for the last 10 years, have an income >£21, were British citizens
How did National insurance act not help poor people?
Only helped people on low incomes and who made contributions
Why did the House of Lords oppose the new reforms act?
They were all rich land owners who would be paying for them
What did the rich people think would happen if they introduced these reforms?
People would become lazy
Why were the pensions controversial?
The people that received pensions didn’t have to pay for it. Money came from taxes
Why did the new liberals introduce the social reforms?
Were philanthropists - cared about people’s welfare. Boer war. Gain voters over the labour party. Industrial + international pressure
What was the outdoor relief?
Benefits. Payment in cash/goods/services. Lowest of low
