Liberal Welfare Reforms Success?

The Young Free School Meals 1906 – Labour party Bill - not compulsory – used by less than 50% of education authorities by 1914 – made compulsory in 1914 Medical Inspections 1907 – compulsory but local authorities did not have to provide treatment but school clinics set up after 1912

The Young Children’s Charter 1908 - Probation Officers provided after care for child offenders – sale of alcohol to children banned – health benefit? Free secondary school places 1907 – numbers limited However – despite limitations – direct government involvement to improve lives of poor children

The Old Pensions 1908 - No pension if income over £25 each year - Five shillings (25p) was a small amount – Labour Party wanted a higher figure - Pension at 70 – few old people survived to that age – Labour Party wanted pension at 65 However - Limited effect on poverty among poor elderly people – small numbers but direct intervention to tackle poverty

The Sick Health Insurance 1911 – sick pay, medical attention, maternity benefit, TB treatment However benefits only applied to the worker not his wife and children – did not apply to people earning more than £160 each year – but direct intervention to tackle sickness as a cause of poverty

The Unemployed/Low Paid Unemployment Insurance 1911 – applied only to 7 trades badly hit by unemployment – small amount of benefit – 7 shillings (35p) – 15 week limit – then? Compensation for accidents at work 1906 – amounts paid small Labour Exchanges 1909 – local centres helped unemployed find work

The Unemployed/Low Paid Trade Boards Act 1909 – tackled low paid ‘sweated industries’ – six trades covered – minimum wages set – protected 400,000 workers – only affected a small fraction of the workforce Shop Hours Act 1911 – ½ day holiday each week but no attempt to tackle low wages

The Unemployed/Low Paid Minimum Wage Act 1912 – local boards set fixed minimum wages – but wages remained low – miners were campaigning for 5 shillings a week (25p) Series of laws – direct intervention but wages remained low for the majority of the industrial working classes

Conclusion Important first steps - direct intervention But laws limited – poverty remained – laws affecting children were not always implemented – pensions low – age limit too high – health insurance only affected workers – benefits small – time limit - many workers unaffected by minimum wages eg farm workers – old Poor Law remained in place until 1929 – widespread poverty in inter war years No action – education, housing