Impact/Effectiveness Of The Poor Law Act (1834-47) Flashcards
What were the 3 provisions of the Poor Law Act 1834?
Creation of a poor law commission to oversee poor relief, parishes grouped together, increase in the use of workhouses to discourage the use of outdoor relief
What was the difference in workhouse after 1834 than before?
Due to 1782 act, workhouses before 1834 only housed deserving poor - now used for all poor
What was the grouping of parishes like in 1834?
15,000 parishes grouped together to make 600 unions - easier to oversee if too much relief given, also reduced humanitarian view as less empathy with poor as not local
What did the poor rate fund in 1839?
The building of 350 workhouses
What were the issues with workhouses?
Expensive to build (I.e 1835, Banbury cost £6,200)
How did the poor law commission counterise the expense of building workhouses?
Kept running costs low
What was it like inside workhouses?
Conditions were unpleasant to discourage people from going , ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ poor usually kept separate - conditions bad for both
Why did outdoor relief continue after the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act?
Was cheaper than keeping poor in workhouses (1862, 4s 8d spent on workhouse poor against 2s 3d spent on outdoor poor)
Why did outdoor relief continue more in the north?
Poor Law Guardians were more reluctant to spend the money on workhouses as there was usually a cyclical demand for relief due to the economy, meaning during booms workhouses wouldn’t be used as much
Why were farmers in rural areas upset at the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act?
They were benefiting from the cheap short-term labour provided by the poor - workhouses provide no benefit to them
Why did the 1834 Poor Law Act fail to achieve immediate success?
High start up costs and no reduction in poverty
