Social Issues

Question 1

What were the class divisions in 1906?

Answer 1

The upper class: Wealthy landowners whose families dominated British society for generations. Also included those who had obtained wealth from industry. 
The middle class: about a quarter of the population. The upper middle class included factory owners and merchants or those with professional training. The lower middle class included non-manual employees. 
The working class: 75% of the population. Engaged in a variety of manual work. Split between skilled and unskilled workers. Unskilled workers earns just over £1 a we’ll to provide for the whole family.

Question 2

What did Booth and Rowntree find?

Answer 2

Booth interviewed 4000 people in 1889. He concluded that poverty in London was closer to 30.7% than the 25% claimed by the government. Row tree investigated poverty in York, in which 28% of the population were living in poverty. They showed that those who could meet the basic necessities of life could fall into poverty due to factors outside their control. These included: unemployment, irregular work and low wages.

Question 3

What was the People’s Budget 1909?

Answer 3

• income tax on a sliding scale. Those with an income less than £3000 paid 9d for every pound. Those with incomes above paid 1s2d per pound.
• super tax for those who earned more than £5000. They had to pay an additional 6d per pound.
• tax on cars
• 3d per gallon on petrol
• inheritance tax on estates worth more than
• new tax on profits gained through land sales

Question 4

What social and welfare reforms were implemented?

Answer 4

1906 Education Act: free school meals for needy children. By 1914 a total of 14 million school meals provided. But, it was not compulsory.
1907 Education Act: Compulsory for medical inspections of children in school. However, the poor were not always able to afford this.
1908 Children’s Act: made parental neglect illegal, set up juvenile courts, illegal to sell tobacco and alcohol to children.
1908 Old Age pensions Act: pension of 5s a week for a single person and 7s6d for a married couple. Provided a weekly sum, not through poor law (perceived as shameful). Only paid to those over 70, based on sliding scale and had to be of good character and not been to prison. Only provided bare minimum.
1909 Trade Boards: fixed minimum wages. Covered 200,000 in four trades. Only covered sweated trades.
1909 Labour exchange: set up places where workers looking for a job and employers could meet. 2 million workers registered by 1914 and found 3000 jobs a day. For every worker that found a job 3 did not.
1911 National Insurance Act (unemployment): covered 2.25 million workers and provided 7s a week for 15 weeks. Only applied to certain trades, known for cyclical unemployment.
1911 National Insurance Act (sickness): compulsory scheme, covered 13 million workers. 10s for 13 weeks, 5s for 13 weeks. Maternity grant, disability benefit and free medical treatment. Only covered workers earning less than £160 pa. Had to be 16-60 ; 10 year gap in provisions. Only covered the worker. Only 13/45 million population were covered.
Workmen’s compensation act 1906 : only covered workers earning less than £250 pa.
Merchant shipping Act: improved food and accommodation for merchant seamen. Only covered British ships.
Shops Act 1911: weekly half-day holiday for shop workers. Longer hours on other days.
Coal mines Acts 1908 and 1911: working day underground 8 hour day. Still had long hours, low pay.

Question 5

What was the effect of this reform?

Answer 5

Created a basic minimum - “a lifebelt” said Churchill. However, housing, the poor law and education were left untouched. Large families received no specific aid. The state moved away from laissez-faire.