Social Reform Flashcards
What did Rowntree and Booth find in his investigation of Yorkshire and London? (1906)
Rowntree: 43% of people lived below the poverty line in Yorkshire and didn’t have enough money for food, shelter and clothing.
Booth: a third of Londoners lived below the poverty line, he linked poverty to early death.
It was like this all over the country, forcing many into workhouses with very poor conditions
How did Rowntree and Booth help for changed?
Their eye opening surveys influenced the Liberal Parties decisions as they were made aware of the magnitude of poverty in the UK
What was life like for children of the poor?
Although school had been legally compulsory since 1880, the majority of poor children did not attend so they could work to help their family. They were poorly fed and clothed with little to no medical treatment
What did the Liberal government do to help children of the poor?
Determined to look after them, they passed the school meals act in 1906 which told local authorities to provide free meals for the poorest children.
In 1907, the school medical service meant children were inspected by a medical professional at least once a year
The children’s charter was introduced
How successful were the governments new regimes?
By 1914 150,000 children were using free school meals, however only half the local authorities actually set them up
At first medicals had to be payed for meaning the poorest missed out, but by 1912 they were provided free for those who could not pay
What was the children’s charter? (1908)
It became illegal to sell alcohol, tobacco or fireworks to under 16s.
Children’s working hours were limited and some types of work were banned for children
Parents could now be prosecuted for child neglecting and putting insurance on children as there had been suspicious claims when a child had died in the past (Children and Young Persons Act)
Borstals, juvenile courts and probation systems were set up so children could not go to adult prisons
Child care committees were set up to aid those in poverty
What was the people budget? (1909)
Set up by chancellor Lloyd George, it was a tax raise to help those less fortunate (elderly, sick and unemployed) with services
How did the peoples budget help the elderly?
The old age pension act (1908) introduced pensions for people on low income and aged over 70. These were on no sliding scale according to a persons income, however never a huge amount
What was the reaction to the old age pension act? (1908)
Objectors thought the government were going to far, being too left wing
It was a relief to the elderly as they did not have to worry as much about being a burden when they are retired
How did the peoples budget help the unemployed?
The labour exchange act (1909) was where the unemployed could register and then be found by employers making finding work much more easy than having to blindly knock on factory doors
By 1914 there were more than 400 labour exchanges around the country
How did the peoples budget help the sick or unemployed?
The national insurance act (1911) meant that the government, employers and workers would all contribute to a fund to help those out of work in jobs suck as building where unemployment was common. If a contributor to the fund became unemployed then they could also claim benefits for up to 15weeks. The birth of a child increased peoples benefits
Why was the benefits given in small quantity?
The government wanted people not to be comfortable so they could find work
What happened in the 1906 election?
The liberal party won by a landslide, they were determined to make changed to improve the living and working conditions of ordinary people as many were struggling at the time - there was no welfare state
