Chapter 14: Poor Law Amendment Act Flashcards
What was the current system of poor relief like? (Pre-1834)
Had become almost impossible to maintain as it was still based on old Speenhamland System of Outdoor relief, since Napoleonic Wars. It suppressed wages, particularly in rural areas as farmers dependd on workers receiving a wage supplement when prices rose.
What happened in the 1820s and 1830s?
Price fluctuations and a recession caused periods of high unemployment. Wages of those who worked were inadequate as food prices remained high, partly as a result of the Corn Laws limiting imports of cheap grain.
Where did the pressure to reform the Poor Law system come from?
Middle classes who seeked a magical solution to get rid of poverty and unemployment and rid of the high rates they paid towards poor relief.
What was the role of the Royal Commissionn?
The Royal Commission, in which Edwin Chadwick played a key role, looked into the existing system. His approach chimed wit the middle class objective to cut costs, as he regarded the current system as wasteful and inefficient.
What were the terms of the Poor Law Amendment Act, 1834?
Outdoor relief for able-bodied was to be abolished, thought to encourage idleness, and in its place a system of indoor relief was to be established. The Poor Law Commission (3 members), a central authority was set up to oversee the implementation. Parishes grouped into Unions, which was responsible for maintaining a workhouse, to be managed by locally elected Board of Guardians.
What was the ‘Principle of Less Eligibility’?
Applied to anyone claiming poor relief, in the belief that only the most desperate woud submit themselves and their families to the degradations of the workhouse, where conditions were made deliberately harsh. Meant the conditions of someone on poor relief should be less favourable than of the poorest labourer who wasn’t on it.
What was Outdoor Relief?
Payment made from the poor rates to subside low wages or unemployment. It was believed that withdrawing outdoor relief would force up wages and end poverty.
What was Indoor Relief?
Only available in a workhouse. Workhouse system was designed to act as a deterrent to the ‘idle and profligate’, most inhumane conditions. It was seen be the creators as a social policy to encourage work ethic, ensure the able-bodied found employment.
What was the flaws of Indoor Relief?
It failed to comprehend the helplessness of many decent hard workers to find a job, or one that paid enough to meet family’s basic needs. Assumed unemployment was chosen.
What was the intention of the poor law?
To end existing arbitrary local provision for poor relief, cut cost to rate payers. Successful as it deterred all but the most desperate. There was a drop in the average annual poor rates £6.75 mil in 1830-34, and £4.5 mil in 1835-39.
Why were parts of the country, especially the Industrial North resistant to the new measures?
Applying to indoor relief in Industrial towns with large expanding populations was completely impractical, as during any recession it was impossible to accommodate all the needy. An inadequate system of outdoor relief continued in the North and a few workhouses were built.
What were the results of the Act?
Poverty was not solved, the imposition of the grim workhouse conditions angered the labouring poor in the rural South. In 1839 it edged them towards Chartism, a working class movement for political reform. It broke new boundaries in terms of administrative intervention, established ‘standardised administrative structure’.
What was Poor Law Commission an early example o?
A central government institution, with paid officials, which had overall control of locally managed institutions (workhouses). Structure could be applied to other institutions and pre-empted the introduction of departments of state.
