Welfare support in the years before the start of the Welfare state in 1945 (T1) Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Welfare support in the years before the start of the Welfare state in 1945 (T1) Deck (52)
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1
Q

What were the poor laws (pre 1918)?

A

Welfare aid given in the form of money or necessities to those in need

2
Q

Who benefited from the poor laws?

A

The old, young, sick and poor

3
Q

Who were seen as the ‘deserving’ poor?

A

The old, young and sick

4
Q

Until the end of the 19th century who were seen as the ‘undeserving’ poor and what happened to them?

A

Healthy people of working age who fell into destitution

They were placed in work houses where conditions were deliberately terrible to discourage the able bodied from poverty

5
Q

What was the problem with claiming money with the poor laws?

A

The process of having to prove that you deserve welfare was hated as it was a humiliating experience

6
Q

Who decided to change the way welfare worked and when?

A

The Liberal party in 1908

7
Q

What did the Liberal party decide about the distribution of welfare?

A

There were no longer ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ poor - everyone could qualify

8
Q

What was the 1911 Insurance act?

A
  • Employers, employees and the gov. would contribute to the insurance scheme
  • Provided benefits + healthcare through the funds generated
9
Q

What were the limitations of the 1911 health insurance act?

A
  • Was only available to low paid workers (on less than £160 a year)
  • Only applied to 6 industries when created
  • did not insure workers families
10
Q

What was the 1917 Ministry of Construction?

A
  • After WW1 it was believed that the gov. had a role to play in ensuring individuals had basic security
  • Liberal gov had promised a ‘home fit for heroes’
11
Q

Why was the Ministry of Construction established in 1917?

A

It was to build a better Britain after WW1

12
Q

What was unemployment like in the 1920s?

A

Never below 1 million

13
Q

What was unemployment like in the 1930s?

A

It peaked at over 3 million

14
Q

What did the national insurance scheme mean for the returning soldiers from WW1?

A

Many of the 3.5 million troops returning were not eligible for benefits as they didn’t work in on of the 6 industries

15
Q

What was the ministry of reconstruction?

A

Set up to try and ensure everyone had a basic level of security. A first attempt to build a better Britain following wartime.

16
Q

What did the ministry of construction mean?

A

The Liberal Government wanted to try and expand their plans for welfare from before WW1. E.g. home fit for heroes.

17
Q

What was the impact of the ministry of construction?

A

The ambitious plans suffered because of the economic reality of the years after WW1.

18
Q

What help was there for the unemployed?

A

A 1920 law called the “Unemployment Insurance Act” to try and cover people who were not covered by the National Insurance Act (sickness and injury).

19
Q

What did the unemployment support mean for soldiers at the time?

A

A long-term solution: lots of returning soldiers had had to rely on something called a “dole donation” before it.

20
Q

How effective was the unemployment support for soldiers during WW1?

A

Did not go as planned. The law was past just as the economic recession was beginning. This meant the system did not become self-funding and by the 1930s it was necessary to “means test”.

21
Q

What were pensions like after WW1?

A

The 1925 Pensions Act. It gave 10 shillings a week for anyone aged 65 - 70. This was given to widows and orphans of dead workers too.

22
Q

How had pensions changed from what they were like in 1908?

A

Pensions were no longer means tested like they were when they first introduced in 1908.

23
Q

How were pensions at the time different to other forms of welfare?

A

It was the first bit of welfare funded by a compulsory contribution. People generally accepted the big change because of the tough economic situation of the time.

24
Q

What was housing like just after WW1?

A

The 1919 Housing Act, which gave local governments the chance to use national government money to build the 600,000 new homes the country needed.

25
Q

What did the housing acts after WW1 mean?

A

The housing shortage was being addressed and the government had the chance to fulfill its promise of “homes-fit-for-heroes” after WW1.

26
Q

How effective was the housing straight after WW1?

A

The necessity of the Geddes Axe and the need to “balance the books” meant only 230,000 were built. The housing shortage continued to get worse year on year.

27
Q

When were housing acts passed in the 1920s/30s?

A

A Housing Act passed in 1923/24 and one in 1930.

28
Q

What effect did the 1920s/30s houses acts have during this time?

A

Companies got tax breaks to build houses. 4 million were built, 1 million using government money.

New suburbs around London developed.

29
Q

What changes occured due to the 1920/30s housing acts?

A

Gradually, the housing situation improved and the government demonstrated commitment to solving housing problems. In 1930, people were moved away from the overcrowded cities to live in new housing.

30
Q

What was healthcare like after WW1?

A

A different approach after WW1. The war had exposed how unhealthy the population was - 40% of men who signed up were declared unfit for combat.

31
Q

What did the change in healthcare after WW1 mean?

A

The Ministry of Health was set up in 1919 to coordinate healthcare needs and as a start of government leading provision and investment.

32
Q

What was the impact of the change in healthcare after WW1?

A

Slow. In the interwar years, private insurance companies still provided 75% of healthcare. It wasn’t until the late 1930s that there was jump in State insurance. Some widows, orphans etc. still required “a sympathetic GP”.

33
Q

What was the 1918-1920 ‘Out-of-work donation’?

A

The short term solution to help returning troops and civilian unemployment

Issued to remaining troops and unemployed civilians until they found work

34
Q

How was the 1918-1920 ‘Out-of-work donation’ funded?

A

Out of taxation/borrowing with no link to individual contributions

35
Q

How successful was the 1918-1920 ‘Out-of-work donation’?

A

Was meant to be temporary, set 2 important precedents:
- Gov accepted duty to adequately support unemployed, regardless of insurance contributions

  • Provided more money for family dependents
36
Q

What was the 1920 Unemployment Insurance Act?

A

Developed to offer a longer-term solution and cover those not employed by the National Insurance Act

37
Q

Who could claim money from the 1920 Unemployment Insurance Act?

A

2/3 of workers eligible to claim insurance

38
Q

What was the economy like at the time when the 1920 Unemployment Insurance Act was set up?

A

The Act was passed in the 1920s just as the effects of the post war slump were setting in

39
Q

How did the post war slump have an effect on the 1920 Unemployment Insurance Act?

A

The number of eligible claimants quickly drained the accumulated funds

By 1921 the gov. had to make extended payments - which they could not afford

They eventually had to put a stricter criteria in place as they could not fund all the claims

40
Q

How did means testing affect the 1920 Unemployment Insurance Act?

A

It was implemented in March 1921

By March 1930, 3 million claims had been rejected

41
Q

What was the 1929 Local Government Act?

A

The LGA said that county and borough councils had to set up Public Assistance Committees (PACs)

42
Q

What were the PACs set up under the 1929 Local Government Act?

A

They were centrally funded & replaced the poor law guardians who had administered funds under the old poor law

43
Q

How did the 1929 Local Government Act respond to the 1931 financial crisis?

A

The PACs given power to administer means tests on claimants

Their combined household income was thoroughly investigated to judge eligibility for dole payments

44
Q

How did people feel about the means testing under the 1929 Local Government Act?

A

They were hated - they were seen as an invasion of privacy & unfair

Some PACs were stricter than others

45
Q

What was the 1934 Unemployment Act?

A

It separated the treatment of insurable from long-term employment

46
Q

What did part 1 of the 1934 Unemployment Act do?

A

Provided 26 weeks of benefit payments to the 14.5 million workers who had paid into the scheme

47
Q

What did part 2 of the 1934 Unemployment Act do?

A

Created a national Unemployment Assistance Board (UAB) to help those with no entitlement to insurance benefits

48
Q

How successful was the UAB under the 1934 Unemployment Act?

A

By 1937 the UAB had assisted 1 million people on a national means-tested basis

The Poor Law provisions shrunk to just a few groups not covered by the UAB - i.e. widows & deserted wives who could not yet claim a pension

49
Q

How had the government not been able to solve unemployment before the creation of the welfare state?

A

The prevailing wisdom of retrenchment (spending cuts and tax rises) could not stimulate economic growth

Unemployment only tackled when state spending was poured into rearmement in 1936

50
Q

What was the 1908 Pensions Act?

A

State pensions were introduced

Very popular with over 70s

51
Q

What were the criticisms of the 1908 Pensions Act?

A

They were means tested and did not support the widows & children of the deceased

52
Q

How did the government try to improve the 1908 Pensions Act?

A

1925 Widows’, Orphans’ and Old Age Contributory pensions act

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