British history 1890-1990- Poverty and Unemployment

Poverty and unemployment 1890-1906
(1- Poverty)

Food prices falling.
Urban growth: Poor housing, overcrowded slums.
Life expectancy in 1893- 53.
50% Boer war volunteers unfit.

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Poverty and unemployment 1890-1906
(2-Unemployment)

12% of workforce unemployed.
Agricultural great depression 1873-1896.
US/German competition against outdated British industries=Cheaper foreign goods

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Government action 1890-1906

Public health act 1875:
Improved sanitisation.
Houses of the working classes acts 1890, 1900: Slums built, lack of new homes built.
Education acts:
Focus on elementary education
Unemployment Workmen act 1905:
Local committees set up to provide work for u

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Poverty and unemployment 1890-1906

Not tackled greatly due to laisse faire attitudes.

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Changing attitudes (1890-1906): Individualism vs collectivism

Boothe and Rowntree:
Third of population living in poverty.
Poverty line= 21s 8d per week.
Poverty cycle showed unemployment caused low pay, sickness and laziness being consequences and causes.

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Changing attitudes (1890-1906):
Individualism vs collectivism

Fear of socialism, liberal reforms introduced favoured working class.
National efficiency:
Made poverty national problem due to social and economic security over foreign competition.
Humanitarianism:
Focused on impact of poverty on people.

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Royal Commission on poor law 1905

Majority report= No need for state intervention- poverty fault of the impoverished
Minority report= Cause of poverty economic and beyond control of individual, state intervention needed.

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Poverty and unemployment:
Liberal reforms 1906-1914

Realised need for social reform-especially for unemployed and sick.
New Liberalism, believed whole society needed caring for (influenced by T.H. Green).
Influenced David Lloyd George and Winston Churchil.

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Poverty and unemployment:
Liberal reforms 1906-1914
(Trade union reforms)

Trade dispute act 1906- Reverse Taff Vale decision and now allowed strikes.
Trade unions act 1913- Reversed Osborne judgement so unions can pay money to labour party.
Met trade union pressures- now able to strike, picket and pay a part in politics.

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Poverty and unemployment:
Liberal reforms 1906-1914
(Reform for children)

Free school meals 1906- set precedent for state intervention, only compulsory in 1914.
Free medical inspection 1907- 75% of LEA's provided free medical inspection and 2/3 provided treatment by 1914.
Children and young person Act 1908- Increased role of s

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Poverty and unemployment:
Liberal reforms 1906-1914
(Elderly reforms)

Old age pension- Non contributory, financed by Gov out of tax.
Represents gov intervention in care- significant change.
Not universal.
5s/week over 70.
Could be seen nationalising outdoor relief.

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Poverty and unemployment
Liberal reforms 1906-1914
(Reform for working class)

Labour exchanges 1909- Helped unemployed find jobs, by 1914, 2 million registered. Exchanges found 3,000 jobs a day.
Trade boards act 1909- Churchill set minimum wages in 10 'sweated trades'.

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Poverty and unemployment
Liberal reforms 1906-1914
(National insurance act 1911- Part 2, Unemployment)

Covered workers effected by cyclical unemployment.
Benefit of 7s/week for 15 weeks/year (unless fired for misconduct.)
Unemployment found by Boothe and Rowntree as Key cause of Poverty.
New thinking found need for state intervention.

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Poverty and unemployment:
Significance of Liberal reforms 1906-1914 (1)

National insurance set precedent of how to fund future reforms, and provided mixed self-help + collectivist tone.
Clear attempt to tackle unemployment:
Increase state intervention for poor.
NI most important, first step caring for sick, old and unemploy

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Poverty and unemployment:
Significance of Liberal reforms 1906-1914 (2)

Welfare support for children, elderly and unemployed provided significant poverty 'safety net'.
Peoples budget, secured political acceptance of taxing to fund reform.
Liberal not socialist- individual responsibility. Not universal or comprehensive, some

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British history 1890-1990- Poverty and Unemployment

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