Cradle to the Grade Key Revision points

Britain in the 19th Century Laissez Faire system. Government no responsibility for people. Their own fault if they are poor. Largest Empire in the World. Gives raw materials for Britain’s Factories. Powerful Navy Needed to protect merchant ships. Industrial Nation Many old factories with poor pay and working conditions. Ruled by the rich Political system weighted towards rich. M.P.s not paid.

Britain in the 19th Century Worries about Britain falling behind Poor performance in the Boer War gives worries about health of soldiers. Poor industrial performance due to health of work force. Some very rich – many very poor Leads in some cases to escapism with drink, gambling which reinforces middle class views of the poor.

Poor Law Different Acts for Scotland and England England Poor taken care of in very harsh conditions. Scotland Only the vulnerable taken into care but less harsh. Splits up families Example of Charlie Chaplin. Designed for a rural society Swamped by poor in cities and can’t cope. Poverty = bad living Justified Poor Law by idea that people were only poor because of moral failure.

Self Help Written by Samuel Smiles in 1859 Based on the idea of positive thinking. Self reliance the only so help from government reduces the ability of the poor to help themselves. Poor deserve to be poor because of character defects. Friendly Societies. Early insurance companies. Put aside a small amount each week to provide cash if needed.

Self Help Savings Bank Movement Helps develop good habits. Post Office starts Savings Bank. Co-operative Movement Profits made in shops paid out as a dividend to members. Friends and Neighbours. Close knit communities back each other up.

Charity and the Poor Not well organised Some efforts duplicated while other groups ignored. Post Office starts Savings Bank. Christian Middle Class run. Stops revolt of the poor. Genuine Christian feeling for fellow citizens. Chance for middle class ladies to do something useful. Done to modify poor people’s behaviour as poverty is their own fault. Charity Organisation Society. An attempt to co-ordinate charities efforts.

Booth and Rowntree Booth Scientific Methods. Booth defines poverty. Use of statistics means that the government can’t ignore the problem. Government agree but say London is a unique case.

Booth and Rowntree Rowntree Similar scientific style. Survey in York, a much less Industrial city. Proves it is a National problem which needs a national solution. Proves that as poverty happens to people at set stages in their lives it is not moral failings which cause poverty.

National Security and National Efficiency British performance in Boer War weak as it takes 3 years to win. Blamed on the health of the recruits. Social Darwinist idea that we get stronger or die. Worry if we need to fight a stronger enemy such as Germany.

National Security and National Efficiency Britain was the workshop of the world in mid century. Being taken over by USA and Germany by the end of the century. Blamed on the health of the workers. Social Darwinist idea that we get stronger or die. Worry if we need to fight a stronger enemy such as Germany.

Fear of Germany Germany had the largest, most efficient army in Europe. Germany was in a Naval Race with Britain. Germany wanted an Empire. The alliance system which would lead to WW1 was largely complete. Germany was overtaking Britain in industry. Germany had a Social policy which seemed to be making them more efficient. Britain needs to keep up with Germany or lose if it comes to a war.

Rise of the Labour Party Labour Party was a party to look out for the working class (all the poor were working class). Working Class men have the vote. Labour Party seats go from 1 in 1892, 2 in 1900, 29 in 1906, 42 in 1911 T here a fear that they are becoming powerful very quickly. Fear that Socialism outside parliament may cause a revolution. Russian Revolution of 1905 still in government’s mind.

New Liberalism Liberalism believes in individual freedom to make life choices. If people are too poor to make life choices can that policy be liberal? A belief that there are times to intervene in peoples’ lives. Could lead to increases in taxation. A small group of ambitious influential M.P.s. State intervention and collective approach to poverty.

The Liberal Government 1906 - 1914 Massive majority in House of Commons. Don’t control House of Lords. Lloyd-George and Winston Churchill both influential members. After 1908 the main money positions controlled by New Liberals. Both were New Liberals for different reasons.

Children The 1906 Education (Provision of Meals) Act Allows Local Authorities to put ½ d on rates to provide a meal for needy children in school. Leads to compulsory meals by 1914. 3m meals in 1906 to 14 m by 1914. The 1907 Administrative Provisions Act. Enforces 3 medical inspections for each child during their school career. Leads to compulsory School Clinics by 1912. The 1908 Children’s Charter. Gives children a separate legal status. Makes neglect a crime.

Old People The 1908 Old Age Pensions Act People over 70 with an annual income of between £21 and £31 were to be given a pension of 5 shillings to 1 shilling on a sliding scale. Only 70 year olds who were British and who had lived in Britain for the past 20 years had avoided prisons for the past 10 years and who were not habitually drunk or work shy got the pension. The pension was to be paid for from general taxation with no contributions had to be made by those who received it.

Old People The 1908 Old Age Pensions Act Over 1 million receiving pension by 1914. It was given out in the Post Office and took away the stigma of asking for Poor Relief. The money “topped up” the income that elderly people already had. There were too many exemptions and the Act still pandered to the idea of the deserving and undeserving poor. The amount was too little, started at too high an age and had too many exemptions.

Sick People The 1911 National Insurance Act (Part 1) Insured workers were entitled to 10 shillings a week for 13 weeks and 5 shillings for another 13 weeks if ill (women less). Benefits did not start until the fourth day of an illness. (to stop people going off work for trivial illnesses.) Insured workers were entitled to free medical treatment from a doctor chosen by a local Insurance Commission as well as treatment at a T.B. Sanatorium. After 26 weeks disablement benefit was 5s per week. Maternity benefit of 30s became payable. Insured workers were entitled to 30 shillings maternity benefit for the birth of each child.

Sick People The 1911 National Insurance Act (Part 1) Successes It gave self respect to people who did not have to go to the poor house. It gave workers breathing space when ill. Everyone on low wages was insured. The state had extended its role to help the poor in society. The Act was a compulsory one. The strategy of using an insurance scheme meant that the highly unpopular poor law system was by-passed.

Sick People The 1911 National Insurance Act (Part 1) Only the person who earned the money was entitled to these benefits. The family got no benefits if they fell ill. It did not help the self employed or slightly better off and did not cover hospital treatment. After using up their 26 week entitlement, ill workers had to rely on the Poor Law medical facilities. The self-employed, unemployed and those already covered by private health insurance were not included. Many workers were angry at being forced to contribute money from their wages as it reduced the size of their wage packet.

Unemployed People Labour Exchanges 1908 By 1st February 1910, 83 Labour exchanges opened their doors across the country. They were run by government officials. Unemployed workers could go there to find work. Employers would also go to these exchanges in order to find workers if they needed to. New Labour exchanges were helpful. The idea was a good one and the number of exchanges grew quickly. By 1911 there were 414 exchanges in operation. The exchanges also offered a place for workers to mend their clothes and washing facilities.

Unemployed People Labour Exchanges 1908 Failures The scheme was voluntary They tended only to be used by skilled workers and employers who needed such people. The manual and casual labourers were less likely to become involved. Both employers and employees disliked them. Employees thought that they were being offered lower wages by employers who used Labour Exchanges. Employers thought that they were getting the worst workers who would not look for a job

Unemployed People The 1911 National Insurance Act (Part 2) It was also a combination of state help and contributions paid by workers and employers. Contributions were 2.5p employee, 2.5p the employer and 3p the govt. The worker was to register at a Labour exchange and pick up money there. After 1 week unemployed he would get 7s a week up to 15 weeks a year as long as he was not dismissed for misconduct. A week’s benefit was paid, for every 5 weeks of contributions made.

Unemployed People The 1911 National Insurance Act (Part 2) Successes Within 2 years 2.2 million insured. It gave breathing space to workers. No distinction was made between the deserving and undeserving Cases further undermining ideas of individual self-help. Again, the role of the state and what it took responsibility for was extended. The Act recognised that unemployment had complex causes. The insurance fund prospered, and by 1914 it had a surplus of £23 million in it.

Unemployed People The 1911 National Insurance Act (Part 2) Failures Only some industries covered and only for a limited period of time. No difference was made between a single and a married employee. There was no cover for the rest of the family – only the person making the contributions. It only provided limited cover if the worker was unemployed. Once the entitlement had been used up the Poor Law had to be used. The contributions bit into already low wages. The scheme assumed that unemployment levels would remain below 5%. The Act was intended purely to help the worker between jobs. Only 2,250,000 men were covered against unemployment.

Acts to improve working conditions for low paid people. The Liberal Government tried to improve the working conditions in jobs that were either dangerous or poorly paid. 1906 Workmen’s Compensation Act Compensation for injuries sustained at work. 1908 Mines Act 8 hour working day established for miners 1909 Trade Boards Act controlled wages and working conditions in small workshops but did not specify a minimum wage for 200,000 “sweated trades” workers (mostly women) 1911 Shop Hours Act Shop assistants were granted a weekly half-day holiday, a maximum working week of 60 hours was established and washing facilities had to be provided in shops. In all cases the government showed that they were prepared to get in the market place and enforce minimum standards.

Political Conflict The 1911 Parliament Act Lloyd George’s budget proposed to raise money by:- Targeting Income tax rises on rich by increasing tax from 9d to 1s 2d Introducing a super tax on incomes over £3000 p.a. Increasing duties on consumer items such as tobacco, beer, spirits and petrol. Charging a land tax of 20% on profit when land changed hands and increased in value. Starting a levy of ½d on undeveloped land and minerals. This was rejected by the House of Lords. 2 elections in 1910 on the idea of “Who rules the country”. Liberals win and reduce the powers of the House of Lords.