Welfare state

IN BRITAIN
The New
Poor Law

1834
 By an act of 1601 overseers of the poor were appointed by each
parish . They had the power to force people to pay a local tax to
help the poor . Those who could not work such as the old and the
disabled would be provided for . The overseers were meant to
provide work for the able - bodied poor . Anyone who refused to
work was whipped .
Pauper's children were sent to local employers to be
apprentices . A law of 1697 said that paupers ( people
supported by the parish ) must wear a blue or red ' P ' on
their clothes . in the 17th century in many towns wealthy
people left money in their wills to provide almshouses
where the poor could live . In the 17th century , there
were some workhouses . In them , the poor were housed
but had to do some form of work . They became much
more common in the 18th century.
Issuance of NPL Amendement :
In 1792 well - meaning magistrates met at Speenhamland in Berkshire and
devised a system for helping the poor . Low wages were supplemented with
money raised by a poor rate . Many areas of England adopted the system but it
proved very expensive and the government decided to change things .
In 1834 they passed the Poor Law Amendment Act . In the future , the poor were
to be treated harshly to dissuade them from seeking help from the state , able -
bodied people with no income were to be forced to enter a workhouse . In
practice some of the elected Boards of Guardians sometimes gave the
unemployed ' outdoor relief ' they were given money and allowed to live in their
own homes . For the unfortunate people made to enter workhouses , life was
made as unpleasant as possible . Married couples were separated and children
over 7 were separated from their parents . The inmates were made to do hard
work like breaking stones to make roads or breaking bones to make fertilizer .
In 1835 the Poor Law Amendment Act abolished Outdoor Relief
for the able-bodied poor. This meant that claimants that weren’t
desperate enough to enter a workhouse received no financial
assistance from the parish. It was the workhouse or nothing.
The Liberal Welfare Reforms(1906-1911)
 The Liberal Welfare were a series of acts of social
legislation passed by the Liberal party after the
1906 general election. They represent the
emergence of the modern welfare state in the
United Kingdom. Reforms can be listed in the
following table :
The Trade Dispute Act 1906: gave the right for workers to go on strike without
having to pay any Compensation.
Education Act 1906 : provided meals for children in primary schools.
School Medical Services Inspection 1907 : offered medical help to the poor and
the sick.
Old Age Pensions Act 1908 : gave small pensions to people over the age of 70.
Individuals over 70 were given 5 shillings a week, and couples over 70 were given
7 shillings 5 pence per week.
Labour Exchanges Act 1909 : saw the creation of labour exchanges that were
tasked with helping the unemployed find employment.
Develpoment And Road Improvement Funds Act 1909: provided funds to
construct and repair roads across the United Kingdom.
Trade Boards Act 1909: established a minimum wage for industry and low‫ ـ‬paid
workers.
 National Insurance Act 1911: established unemployment benefits and sick pay.
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