Welfare support in the years before the start of the Welfare state in 1945 (T1)

Question 1

What were the poor laws (pre 1918)?

Answer 1

Welfare aid given in the form of money or necessities to those in need

Question 2

Who benefited from the poor laws?

Answer 2

The old, young, sick and poor

Question 3

Who were seen as the ‘deserving’ poor?

Answer 3

The old, young and sick

Question 4

Until the end of the 19th century who were seen as the ‘undeserving’ poor and what happened to them?

Answer 4

Healthy people of working age who fell into destitution

They were placed in work houses where conditions were deliberately terrible to discourage the able bodied from poverty

Question 5

What was the problem with claiming money with the poor laws?

Answer 5

The process of having to prove that you deserve welfare was hated as it was a humiliating experience

Question 6

Who decided to change the way welfare worked and when?

Answer 6

The Liberal party in 1908

Question 7

What did the Liberal party decide about the distribution of welfare?

Answer 7

There were no longer ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ poor - everyone could qualify

Question 8

What was the 1911 Insurance act?

Answer 8

• Employers, employees and the gov. would contribute to the insurance scheme
• Provided benefits + healthcare through the funds generated

Question 9

What were the limitations of the 1911 health insurance act?

Answer 9

• Was only available to low paid workers (on less than £160 a year)
• Only applied to 6 industries when created
• did not insure workers families

Question 10

What was the 1917 Ministry of Construction?

Answer 10

• After WW1 it was believed that the gov. had a role to play in ensuring individuals had basic security
• Liberal gov had promised a ‘home fit for heroes’

Question 11

Why was the Ministry of Construction established in 1917?

Answer 11

It was to build a better Britain after WW1

Question 12

What was unemployment like in the 1920s?

Answer 12

Never below 1 million

Question 13

What was unemployment like in the 1930s?

Answer 13

It peaked at over 3 million

Question 14

What did the national insurance scheme mean for the returning soldiers from WW1?

Answer 14

Many of the 3.5 million troops returning were not eligible for benefits as they didn’t work in on of the 6 industries

Question 15

What was the ministry of reconstruction?

Answer 15

Set up to try and ensure everyone had a basic level of security. A first attempt to build a better Britain following wartime.

Question 16

What did the ministry of construction mean?

Answer 16

The Liberal Government wanted to try and expand their plans for welfare from before WW1. E.g. home fit for heroes.

Question 17

What was the impact of the ministry of construction?

Answer 17

The ambitious plans suffered because of the economic reality of the years after WW1.

Question 18

What help was there for the unemployed?

Answer 18

A 1920 law called the “Unemployment Insurance Act” to try and cover people who were not covered by the National Insurance Act (sickness and injury).

Question 19

What did the unemployment support mean for soldiers at the time?

Answer 19

A long-term solution: lots of returning soldiers had had to rely on something called a “dole donation” before it.

Question 20

How effective was the unemployment support for soldiers during WW1?

Answer 20

Did not go as planned. The law was past just as the economic recession was beginning. This meant the system did not become self-funding and by the 1930s it was necessary to “means test”.

Question 21

What were pensions like after WW1?

Answer 21

The 1925 Pensions Act. It gave 10 shillings a week for anyone aged 65 - 70. This was given to widows and orphans of dead workers too.

Question 22

How had pensions changed from what they were like in 1908?

Answer 22

Pensions were no longer means tested like they were when they first introduced in 1908.

Question 23

How were pensions at the time different to other forms of welfare?

Answer 23

It was the first bit of welfare funded by a compulsory contribution. People generally accepted the big change because of the tough economic situation of the time.

Question 24

What was housing like just after WW1?

Answer 24

The 1919 Housing Act, which gave local governments the chance to use national government money to build the 600,000 new homes the country needed.

Question 25

What did the housing acts after WW1 mean?

Answer 25

The housing shortage was being addressed and the government had the chance to fulfill its promise of “homes-fit-for-heroes” after WW1.

Question 26

How effective was the housing straight after WW1?

Answer 26

The necessity of the Geddes Axe and the need to “balance the books” meant only 230,000 were built. The housing shortage continued to get worse year on year.

Question 27

When were housing acts passed in the 1920s/30s?

Answer 27

A Housing Act passed in 1923/24 and one in 1930.

Question 28

What effect did the 1920s/30s houses acts have during this time?

Answer 28

Companies got tax breaks to build houses. 4 million were built, 1 million using government money.

New suburbs around London developed.

Question 29

What changes occured due to the 1920/30s housing acts?

Answer 29

Gradually, the housing situation improved and the government demonstrated commitment to solving housing problems. In 1930, people were moved away from the overcrowded cities to live in new housing.

Question 30

What was healthcare like after WW1?

Answer 30

A different approach after WW1. The war had exposed how unhealthy the population was - 40% of men who signed up were declared unfit for combat.

Question 31

What did the change in healthcare after WW1 mean?

Answer 31

The Ministry of Health was set up in 1919 to coordinate healthcare needs and as a start of government leading provision and investment.

Question 32

What was the impact of the change in healthcare after WW1?

Answer 32

Slow. In the interwar years, private insurance companies still provided 75% of healthcare. It wasn’t until the late 1930s that there was jump in State insurance. Some widows, orphans etc. still required “a sympathetic GP”.

Question 33

What was the 1918-1920 ‘Out-of-work donation’?

Answer 33

The short term solution to help returning troops and civilian unemployment

Issued to remaining troops and unemployed civilians until they found work

Question 34

How was the 1918-1920 ‘Out-of-work donation’ funded?

Answer 34

Out of taxation/borrowing with no link to individual contributions

Question 35

How successful was the 1918-1920 ‘Out-of-work donation’?

Answer 35

Was meant to be temporary, set 2 important precedents:
- Gov accepted duty to adequately support unemployed, regardless of insurance contributions

• Provided more money for family dependents

Question 36

What was the 1920 Unemployment Insurance Act?

Answer 36

Developed to offer a longer-term solution and cover those not employed by the National Insurance Act

Question 37

Who could claim money from the 1920 Unemployment Insurance Act?

Answer 37

2/3 of workers eligible to claim insurance

Question 38

What was the economy like at the time when the 1920 Unemployment Insurance Act was set up?

Answer 38

The Act was passed in the 1920s just as the effects of the post war slump were setting in

Question 39

How did the post war slump have an effect on the 1920 Unemployment Insurance Act?

Answer 39

The number of eligible claimants quickly drained the accumulated funds

By 1921 the gov. had to make extended payments - which they could not afford

They eventually had to put a stricter criteria in place as they could not fund all the claims

Question 40

How did means testing affect the 1920 Unemployment Insurance Act?

Answer 40

It was implemented in March 1921

By March 1930, 3 million claims had been rejected

Question 41

What was the 1929 Local Government Act?

Answer 41

The LGA said that county and borough councils had to set up Public Assistance Committees (PACs)

Question 42

What were the PACs set up under the 1929 Local Government Act?

Answer 42

They were centrally funded & replaced the poor law guardians who had administered funds under the old poor law

Question 43

How did the 1929 Local Government Act respond to the 1931 financial crisis?

Answer 43

The PACs given power to administer means tests on claimants

Their combined household income was thoroughly investigated to judge eligibility for dole payments

Question 44

How did people feel about the means testing under the 1929 Local Government Act?

Answer 44

They were hated - they were seen as an invasion of privacy & unfair

Some PACs were stricter than others

Question 45

What was the 1934 Unemployment Act?

Answer 45

It separated the treatment of insurable from long-term employment

Question 46

What did part 1 of the 1934 Unemployment Act do?

Answer 46

Provided 26 weeks of benefit payments to the 14.5 million workers who had paid into the scheme

Question 47

What did part 2 of the 1934 Unemployment Act do?

Answer 47

Created a national Unemployment Assistance Board (UAB) to help those with no entitlement to insurance benefits

Question 48

How successful was the UAB under the 1934 Unemployment Act?

Answer 48

By 1937 the UAB had assisted 1 million people on a national means-tested basis

The Poor Law provisions shrunk to just a few groups not covered by the UAB - i.e. widows & deserted wives who could not yet claim a pension

Question 49

How had the government not been able to solve unemployment before the creation of the welfare state?

Answer 49

The prevailing wisdom of retrenchment (spending cuts and tax rises) could not stimulate economic growth

Unemployment only tackled when state spending was poured into rearmement in 1936

Question 50

What was the 1908 Pensions Act?

Answer 50

State pensions were introduced

Very popular with over 70s

Question 51

What were the criticisms of the 1908 Pensions Act?

Answer 51

They were means tested and did not support the widows & children of the deceased

Question 52

How did the government try to improve the 1908 Pensions Act?

Answer 52

1925 Widows’, Orphans’ and Old Age Contributory pensions act