Public Health: Phase 4 Government action and war Flashcards
Why did the Liberals introduce public health reform?
- There was a history of social reform in Britain. New Liberals were determined to make change.
- Attitudes to the poor had changed by 1906. There was more recognition that poverty was a problem that could be solved and the government was best placed to solve it.
- The problem of poverty - had received great publicity. Britain was one of the richest countries and so many citizens lived below the poverty line. Life expectancy for the poor was 45.
- The social reformers such as Charles Booth, Seebohm Rowntree and John Galt influenced the government to take action. Booth researched poverty in London. Rowntree studied poverty in York and John Galt was a missionary in the east end of London and photographed poverty. Researches found at least 30% of the population lived below the poverty line.
- Demands of the Empire meant that Britain needed a strong army. During the Boer War, half the volunteers were unfit to serve. In some poor areas it was as high as 69% and the army had to lower its minimum height requirement.
- The Industrial decline of Britain. There was a worry that Britain wouldn’t be able to compete with Germany who offered their workers sickness benefits and so Britain out to follow their lead.
- Political rivalry and the rise of socialism. The newly formed Labour Party posed a threat to the Liberals and Conservatives. The Liberals hoped that social changes would stop people voting Labour.
- Lloyd George and Winston Churchill pushed changes through parliament. They were influenced by Booth and Rowntree.
What were the successes and limitations of 1906 Free School Meals?
Successes: Received by over 158,000 children per day by 1914. Guaranteed children from the poorest families at least one meal per day
Limitations: Provided by councils. Free school meals were not compulsory and not all councils provided them. Only half of local authorities set this up.
What were the successes and limitations of 1907 Free School Medical Inspections?
Successes: Children got free, compulsory medical checks. Provided by doctors and nurses in schools.
Limitations: Checkups were free but until 1912 parents had to pay for any medical treatment that was found to be required.
What were the successes and limitations of 1912 School clinics set up?
Successes: Medical treatment for children was provided free of charge after 1912
Limitations: Standards of care still varied around the country. However, by 1914 most local councils were providing some free medical treatments.
What were the successes and limitations of 1908 Children and Young Persons Act (Children’s Charter)?
Successes: Children became protected persons. Parents who abused or neglected their children could be prosecuted. Child care committees tried to support families in difficulties. Borstals were set up so young offenders did not have to go to adult prisons. There were special juvenile courts and the probation service began. All children’s’ care homes had to be registered and inspected.
Limitations: Measures to protect children were difficult to enforce. Some borstals were no better than adult prisons. Children’s homes could still be harsh and some local authorities provided better standards of care than others.
What were the objections to these reforms for children?
- Some objected that the government should not interfere in family life, saying it was not up to the government to tell parents how to look after their children. The cost of feeding and caring for the poorest children was a further burden upon local councils who increased rates to cover the cost. (Rates were a local tax paid by property owners)
- Others said the reforms were insufficient and that children needed even more protection. Voluntary schemes meant some areas gave better care than others.
What were the successes and limitations of 1908 Old Age Pensions Act - Those over 70 received 5 shillings a week or 7s 6d for a married couple - later increased to 10 shillings.
Limitations: In the first year alone it was claimed by over 650,000 old people saving many from extreme poverty. Gave independence to the elderly and they no longer had to rely on charities. Saved many old people from the shame of the workhouse. Pensions were paid by the government the same benefits applied throughout the country.
Limitations: Non-contributory scheme, paid for by the government who increased taxes to pay for it. Benefits were not generous and could be denied to old people who failed to work to the best of their ability during their work years. Not all old people qualified. Pensions were restricted to those who had an income of less than £21 per year.
What objections were there to the reforms of the elderly?
- Taxes had to be raised to cover the cost and many objected to paying more
- Lloyd George’s People’s Budget of 1909 raised taxes for the wealthy causing uproar in the House of Lords
- There were concerns that providing pensions would make people irresponsible and not save for their own retirement
- Objectors were critical that the recipients of the scheme bore no cost as it was non-contributory
- It was suggested that providing a pension robbed old people of their independence by making them reliant on the state.
- The government seriously underestimated the number of people who would qualify. They estimated 500,000 but by 1913 it was nearly a million.
What were the successes and limitations of 1911 National Insurance Part 1?
It provided sickness benefit of 10 shillings a week for 13 weeks. It was paid for by workers, employers and government contributions
Successes: Around 16 million workers were covered under the scheme. All workers earning less than £160 a year had to join. Benefits included the cost of medical care by a doctor. Sickness benefit saved many workers and their families from debt and misery due to illness. Workers were able to take time off work when ill and so did less damage to their health.
Limitations: The scheme was compulsory and the poorest workers resented having to pay 4d for contributions from their wages (some said Lloyd George was a thief). After 13 weeks sickness benefits was reduced to 5s a week and after 26 weeks they stopped altogether. It did not include the cost of medicines, hospital or dental treatment. Only covered the worker and not their families.
What were the successes and limitations of 1911 National Insurance Part 2?
Unemployed workers received unemployment benefits of 7s 6d a week. Paid for by workers, employers and government contributions
2.5 million workers, mostly skilled men, could receive unemployment benefit. Unemployment money was sufficient to help for a short period between jobs or when workers were laid off in seasonal trades. Many were saved from losing their homes and debt.
Limitations: The average family could not survive on 7s 6d a week. Unemployment benefit ran out after 15 weeks. The scheme did not include all workers. Millions were not included as it was limited to certain trades such as building and engineering where there were seasonal layoffs. Benefits were kept deliberately low to discourage scroungers.
What objections were there to reforms for the unemployed?
- There was much opposition as the reforms were seen as an attack on market forces (the government was interfering too much in business practices)
- Taxpayers objected to any part of their taxes being used to subsidise the unemployed as it would encourage idleness
- Some employers and workers objected to having to pay towards the insurance scheme
- Doctors at first objected to the sickness benefit scheme as they were used to having fee paying private patients. They later found that increased patients on their books more than compensated.
- The scheme was compulsory and so some objected due to lack of choice.
- Benefits were too low and did not cover enough workers or their families.
- The benefits introduced were below subsistence level and inadequate to discourage dependency. They were in no way intended to discourage hard work and self-reliance.
