Effectiveness of Liberal Reforms Flashcards
The Old-
How effective was the 1908 Pension Act?
By 1914, nearly one million people were receiving it.
-It meant that even if they stopped working they would still be able to pay rent, buy food and stay out of the poorhouse
The Old-
Who was a great supporter of these reforms and helped get them passed?
David Lloyd George.
-I made the elderly grateful and showed the government was doing something to help them, which gained votes
The Old- Ev
How was the pension scheme effective?
Gave people over 70 a weekly income. With around one and five shillings for a single person and 7 shillings and 6d if married.
- This helped when they retired, ensuring the older generation had a backup plan
- Pensions were only available to over 70’s, with the average man living till 49 and woman to 50 in 1911
The Young-
How effective was the 1906 Free School Meals Act?
This scheme became compulsory in 1914, with the government paying half the cost.
- Meant that eligible children would get at least one nutritious meal each day
- The 1906 law only gave councils the option to and in 1911, less than 1/3 had chosen to do so
The Young-
How effective was the 1907 Medical Inspections Act for young people
From 1912, young people could get basic treatment for identified illnesses.
-Health problems could be identified and if they received treatment it could stop illness from spreading to others
The Young- Ev
How were School scholarships effective?
The government spent more more money on scholarships for children to go to secondary school. Poor children who passed exams had fees paid for them, with 25% of spaces reserved.
- Showed poorer parents with children in school that to vote Liberal was in their best interests.
- Little help to most poor students as families needed their children to work to support them
The Sick-
How effective was the 1911 National Insurance Act Part 1
Helped the sick and disabled who were struggling, Introduced by Lloyd George.
-Set to target and support families who were ill and couldn’t work, helped them in getting more money
The Sick-
How effective was the sick pay scheme that the government established
Workers were paid 10 shillings for 13 weeks and then 5 shillings for another 13 weeks after that.
- Prevented sick people from starving or losing their home.
- Mad sure they didn’t feel they needed to work whilst ill, which lead to a speedier recovery.
The Sick- Ev
People receiving healthcare treatment was paid through their weekly contributions, how was this effective?
Fourpence for ninepence- 4 paid by worker, 5 by manager and government.
- Workers didn’t have to take to much out of their wages as contributions which meant they could use it towards rent or food, etc
- Only the worker who paid the contributions was eligible, not the whole family
The Unemployed-
How effective was the 1911 National Insurance Act Part 2 -Unemployment?
Workers paid 2.5 pence per week from wages. This meant they received 7s 35d a week if they lost their job.
-Allowed unemployed to continue to buy food and pay rent until they found a job
The Unemployed-
How effective was unemployment benefits?
Attempted to cover unemployed workers until they found a job.
-Unemployment benefits prevented families from facing eviction from their homes and extreme hardship
The Unemployed- Ev
How effective were the Labour exchanges introduced to help advertise jobs locally?
By 1912 there were 414 across Britain.
- This made it easier to find a job for workers and workers for employers. Helping businesses and the unemployed
- Only around 25% of people found work at exchanges
The Employed- Ev
What helped workers who faced unsafe working conditions and got little help if injured?
1900 Workers Compensation Act let 6 million workers claim for workplace injuries and diseases.
- This meant an employee could now get compensation and so prevent them falling into poverty
- Although eligible for compensation workers didn’t have the money to go to court and claim it
The Employed-
How did a change in working hours affect miners in 1908?
Reduced to maximum of 8 hours.
-Reduced accidents in the mines as miners were less tired
The Employed-
How was the 1909 Trade Boards Act benefit workers?
Tackled low wages. Tries to set minimum wage for these jobs, with over 200,000 covered.
-Gave workers the opportunity to negotiate with their employer for a pay rise
