Effectiveness of the Liberal Reforms

Question 1

Background Sentences

Answer 1

Before 1906, politicians had a laissez-faire attitude towards poverty and believed that poverty was completely the person’s own fault.

Between 1906 and 1914, they passed several different reforms which helped impact many different peoples’ lives within Britain.

Question 2

Factors

Answer 2

The Old, The Young and The Sick

Question 3

The Young

What act was passed in 1906?

Answer 3

In 1906, the Education (Provision of Meals) Act was passed.

Question 4

The Young

What did the Education (Provision of Meals) Act provide?

Answer 4

The Education (Provision of Meals) Act provided free school meals to the school children, which was paid for by taxpayers from the school’s local community.

Question 5

The Young

What act was passed in 1907 and what did it provide?

Answer 5

In 1907, the Education (Administrative Provisions) Act was passed which ensured that children were being inspected at least 3 times in their school career by a medical professional.

Question 6

The Young - Analysis

Answer 6

In 1906, 3 million children were getting free meals, however in 1914 there were 14 million children receiving free school meals as it became compulsory.

Question 7

The Young - Analysis +

Answer 7

The Education (Administrative Provisions) Act only provided inspections to the school children, not treatment for the diseases that they might have caught, which caused a decline in the population as treatment was too expensive for poor families to pay.

Question 8

The Young - Evaluation (optional)

What act was passed in 1908 and did it make an offence?

Answer 8

Repeat line of arguement

Another act passed by the Liberals was in 1908, The Children’s Act (The Children’s Charter) was passed which made it an offence for parents to neglect their children.

Question 9

The Young - Evaluation (optional)
Analysis +

Answer 9

The Children’s Charter also wasn’t effective in meeting the needs of the people because many children continued to beg, drink alcohol and smoke with little or no consequences.

Question 10

The Young - Evaluation (optional)

Explain why this made Liberal Reforms for the Young NOT effective overall.

Answer 10

This meant that reforms for the young were overall not effective because the treatment for the diseases was too expensive for families to be able to pay and the children continued to act the same way they did before the act was passed.

Question 11

The Old

What act was passed in 1908 and what did it provide?

Answer 11

In 1908, the Old Age Pensions Act was passed, which provided people over 70 with an annual income of between £21 and £31.

Question 12

The Old

Where was the old able to collect their pension from?

Answer 12

The Old would be able to collect their pensions from the Post Office, which would help cover the fact that they were needing the pensions and protecting them from being labelled as Poor.

Question 13

The Old

How much shillings did they received?

Answer 13

The old were to be given a pension of 5 shillings to 1 shilling on a sliding scale.

Question 14

The Old - Analysis

Answer 14

The money “topped up” the income that elderly people already had, which made a difference for many of the elderly who didn’t have much money before.

Question 15

The Old - Analysis +

Answer 15

The pension was too little to live on and was below the minimum that was deemed necessary that Rowntree had identified was needed to stay out of poverty.

Question 16

The Old - Evaluation (optional)

What was another condition from this act?

Answer 16

Only people who had been in Britain for 20 years and not been in prison for the last 10 years qualified for the pension.

Question 17

The Old - Evaluation (optional)

Analysis +

Answer 17

There were too many exemptions so many elderly people in poverty could not get help.

Question 18

The Old - Evaluation (optional)

Explain why this made Liberal Reforms for the Old NOT effective overall.

Answer 18

The Old weren’t able to live off of the money given to them through the pension and many had only the money they received due to their past working experience as they didn’t fit the requirements to be eligible for the pension.

Question 19

The Sick

What act was passed in 1911?

Answer 19

In 1911, The National Insurance Act (Part 1) was passed.

Question 20

The Sick

What was promised to workers?

Answer 20

This promised workers that they would be paid after the fourth day off from being ill if they were off during the time they should be working.

Question 21

The Sick

What was the maternity pay?

Answer 21

Insured workers were entitled to 30s of Maternity Pay for each child.

Question 22

The Sick - Analysis

Answer 22

It ensured families did not immediately fall into poverty if the main wage earner fell ill.

Question 23

The Sick - Analysis +

Answer 23

Many workers were angry at being forced to contribute money from their wages to this fund as it reduced their take-home wage that they had earned from working.

Question 24

The Sick - Evaluation (optional)

What was another promised made by the Liberals?

Answer 24

Insured workers were entitled to some free medical care.

Question 25

The Sick - Evaluation (optional)
Analysis +

Answer 25

Only the person who earned the money was entitled to these benefits. The family got no benefits if they fell ill

Question 26

The Sick - Evaluation (optional)

Explain why this made Liberal Reforms for the Sick NOT effective overall.

Answer 26

Only the person who earned the money was entitled to these benefits. The family got no benefits if they fell ill. This meant that reforms for the sick were overall not effective because although a worker was covered, this act made it more difficult for them to help their family as it didn’t cover their family, and reduced their pay, making it harder for them to afford healthcare. Therefore the majority of people were actually negatively affected by this act or not affected at all.