Provision of social welfar Flashcards
What provisions of welfare were there in 1918
Victorian poor laws
Liberal welfare reform of the early 20th century
What were the Victorian poor laws
Social welfare laws during the Victorian period, based largely on Workhouses
What were the unemployment insurances in 1911
Money taken out of wages to provide an income in the event of subsequent unemployment
What did the pre-war liberal’s government insurance provide
The unemployed received seven shillings a week for up to 15 weeks in a year
covered both males and females
covered around of 10% of Britain’s total working male population
What was the average 1911 wages
20 shillings a week
What was the unemployment insurance act 1920
National insurance was extended from 4 million workers to 11.4 million workers
Benefits increased to 75p for unemployed men and 60p and unemployed women
Why did the 1920s unemployment act increase state’s role
1911 DLG thought the innsurance would be self-financing
However 1920 act covered millions of non-contributors
How were the extensions of state spending due to the 1920s insurance act rationalised
Need to support the unprecedently high levels of unemployment
Fears that extreme and widespread poverty would lead to revolution like Russia
Popular desire to support WW1 soldiers
What was controversial about welfare in the early 1930s
Size of the welfare budget due to the state of the British economy
What did Philip Snowden propose in the early 1930s
Proposed a 10% cut in unemployment benefits
Arthur Henderson led a cabinet revolt against the proposal taking down the labour government
Who was Philip Snowdon 1931
The chancellor
What did the national economy act 1931do
Introduced a means test for unemployment benefits
What were the public’s issues with the 1931 national economy act
(4)
Disqualified short-time workers which affected men who worked in collieries or shipyards and dependent on welfare
Made it so benefits were only claimed for 6 months where people would need to reapply
Made 10% cuts in benefits for the short term unemployed
Introduced transitional payments
What were consequences of the 1931 national income act
Low-income families with working who relied on the incomes of the adults would have no unemployment benefits to live on
What did the 1934 unemployment act do?
Built on changes made by the 1931 national income act
What were the changes made by the 1934 unemployment act
Reversed the 10% cut in wages made by the 1931 national insurance act for the first 6 months
after 6 months the long-term unemployed could apply to the unemployment assistance board for further benefits
What were consequences of the 1934 unemployment act
300,000 people in SW demonstrated against the long term cuts
1935 January the government introduced standstill regulation
What effect did WW2 have on the state
Enlarged the role of the state as the government became responsible for directing the economy
What large operations did the state co-ordinate in WW2
evacuation and rationing
What was evacuation
Movement of children from poor urban centres to safer areas in the countryside
How many children did the initial evacuation move in 1939
1.5 million children
What were issues with the initial evacuation in WW2
Evacuation failed to cater for the needs of the evacuees as it was presumed that the families and charities would supply it
What changed about later evacuations
Children were provided with essentials
social workers provided for distressed children
When did the government introduce food rationing
January 1940
