Liberal Social Reforms - Meet the Needs

Question 1

Introduction

Answer 1

The late 19th & early 20th century were periods where British people, especially the lower classes, faced problems. Unemployment, ill-health, poverty & homelessness were everyday realities. There was little help provided as the government held a laissez-faire attitude meaning they did not believe they should intervene to help the poor. However with growing awareness highlighted from reports such as those from Booth & Rowntree, changes started to happen.

Question 2

Line of Argument

Answer 2

Some argue the Liberal Reforms of 1906-1914 went some way to tackling the social problems of the British people. This essay will contend that the reforms did not fully meet the needs of the British people.

Question 3

Factors

Answer 3

It will analyse the reforms passed to help the young, old & the unemployed

Question 4

The Young - Knowledge

Answer 4

The liberals introduced free school meals in 1906
- This act let councils raise taxes to pay for school meals if they chose to do so

Medical inspections introduced in 1907
- This meant young people would have 3 inspections during their time at school to check for cleanliness or sight problems

The Children’s Act was introduced in 1908
This helped children as juvenile courts were set up & the death penalty for children was abolished

Question 5

The Young - Analysis For

Answer 5

Helped improve the lives of young people. Free school meals meant they were receiving better nourishment which would enable them to concentrate more in class & so provide more opportunity to do well in school. Additionally, the Children’s Act provided more protection for young people & not going to adult prison helped many avoid physical & sexual abuse.

Question 6

The Young - Analysis Against

Answer 6

In the case of medical inspections although responsibility was taken to identify problems, no treatment was provided. This meant for families in poverty they were unable to pay for medication & the problems just continued. Many of the reforms for the young were not compulsory which limits their effectiveness.

Question 7

The Young - Evaluation

Answer 7

Although it was a step forward in improving their health & overall safety, young people were still vulnerable. Although school meals were introduced studies found thats young people who benefitted from this then saw a reduction in their weight & general health during school holidays. This meant more security had to be provided to stop young people from becoming malnourished.

Question 8

The Old - Knowledge

Answer 8

Introduced 1908 Old Age Pensions Act
- Gave people over 70 between 1 & 5 shillings a week depending on income

Married couples received 37 pence per week

Question 9

The Old - Analysis For

Answer 9

People were looked after in their old age & didn’t have to ‘work until they dropped’. In the 1910 election, many Liberals focused on pensions to get re-elected showing how popular they had been

Question 10

The Old - Analysis Against

Answer 10

At the time life expectancy for a man was 49 & 50 for a woman, this meant the age of 70 was too high. This meant many elderly people had to work through their 60’s in ill health & poor conditions showing the problems they faced still continued

Question 11

The Old - Evaluation

Answer 11

Elderly people were still facing hardship in their later years as the amount was too low & if people had not made enough contributions they would receive no pension. This meant many elderly people were still suffering & living in destitution

Question 12

The Unemployed - Knowledge

Answer 12

The 1911 National Insurance Act introduced unemployment insurance

Workers paid 2.5p per week & were eligible to get 35p for up to 15 weeks if they lost their jobs

Question 13

The Unemployed - Analysis For

Answer 13

They aimed to support those out of work & also get people back into work. Unemployment benefit prevented people from falling into poverty & still be able to buy food & pay their rent for a time

Question 14

The Unemployed - Analysis Against

Answer 14

They didn’t solve the issues that many people faced. Labour exchanges only helped around 25% of people find work which meant there were still a large number of people unemployed, searching for jobs to no avail & so they still faced poverty

Question 15

The Unemployed - Evaluation

Answer 15

Although workers were given some money each week by the government if they lost their job, this cover only lasted 15 weeks, after which time a worker got nothing resulting in only a temporary solution

Question 16

Conclusion

Answer 16

It is clear the social reforms of the Liberal government, did not fully meet the needs of the the British people. In terms of the elderly improvements were made in that the Old Age Pensions Act was introduced, but this did not give them enough money to survive on. The unemployed benefitted as they received a weekly payment if they suddenly became unemployed, however this payment only lasted for 15 weeks & afterwards people received nothing. Overall, the Liberal reforms did not fully meet the needs of the British people. Although the government had taken the first steps away from the laissez-faire attitude of the past, the reforms were limited across all areas. Many young people were still malnourished & at risk of abuse & the pensions did not go far enough to protect the elderly population.