7/21/2019 Poverty in Britain Article

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/poverty-in-britain-article 1/2

Liberal Welfare Reforms

http://learningcurve.pro.gov.uk/britain1906-18/g1/casestudy.htm

Poverty In 1900 adapted from the British National Archives

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.!/edcation/"ritain190#to191$/pdf/"gg1.pdf 

Introduction: The problem of  povertyLike most societies, Britain has always had its most 

vulnerable people - the poor. However, attitudes 

towards the most vulnerable people in society have 

not always been the same. In Tudor times, for 

example, poor people cauht bein could be 

whipped and chased out of the town or villae where  

they tried to be. In the !"th century, the poor who

could not look after themselves had to o to the 

workhouse. The harsh conditions, but above all the 

shame of the workhouse, meant that some people 

starved rather than enter it.

By the early !"##s attitudes were beinnin to chane. $hen the Liberal overnment came to power 

in !"#% Liberal &'s were convinced that there had to 

be overnment action to help the poor, the old and 

people who were unemployed. $hat convinced them(

 The scale of the problem)ocial reformers like *harles Booth +in London and 

)eebohm owntree +in ork carried out detailed 

studies into the lives of the poor. Their results were 

truly shockin. Their studies showed /ust how many 

people lived on the poverty line - in ork it was over  

a 0uarter of the population. The studies also showed

 /ust how bad life was for the very poor - terrible 

housin, poor health, bad diet and an endless stru- 

le /ust to feed the family.

bac!round source a

A plan dran in 1900 shoing

packed and unsanitary orking

class housing in the !oundary

"treet area o# !ethnal $reen

%&'( re#: &'( )0/69/18*+,

bac!round source b

A table shoing the eekly

diet o# a orking #amily in

iverpool. t comes #rom othe asual abourer ives2 a 

study looking at li#e #or the

poor in iverpool in 1909.

%!y permission o# the !ritish

ibrary: A*+3*,

1ther studies made people and politicians aware that the most vulnerable in society were also often the 

worst off. $hen people were too old to work, they 

had to rely on their family or charity to feed and 

house them. *hildren livin in the poorest areas were

vulnerable to disease, especially in their early years. 

They were also vulnerable to exploitation. 2mployers 

used child labour because children were cheap.

)ometimes even parents forced their children to work

because they needed the earnins. There were other 

abuses which children suffered as well, includin

malnourishment and even violent abuse. It is not 

surprisin that in the poor districts the attendance of  

the children was very hih. 3or many of these 

children school was a warm, safe place compared to 

home and work.

 The reasons for the problemsThe main reason why poor children and the old

suffered so much was poverty, but why was there so 

much poverty(

1ld people who were poor were poor because they 

could no loner work and earn money. 4urin their  

workin lives they had not earned enouh to put 

money aside to keep them in their old ae. *hildren

were poor because their parents were poor.

5ntil the early !"##s most people thouht that the 

poor were poor because they wasted their money on 

drink. However, social reformers showed that poverty

was caused by a number of key factors6

" 5nemployment or partial unemployment

+the inability to et a /ob which was 

permanent

" The death of a wae earner in the family

" Illness

" Low waes

" Lare families

There were also reasons behind the reasons. In the 

!"th century Britain had been the world7s leadin

industrial nation. By the early !"##s other countries 

like 8ermany and the 5)9 were competin stronly 

with Britain. This took /obs away from Britain and left

people in poverty.

7/21/2019 Poverty in Britain Article

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9s people realised that poverty was not really the 

fault of the poor they bean to support the view that 

the overnment should do somethin to help the 

youn, the old and the unemployed.

Was anythin! done to helpthe poor before the Liberalreforms#9 lot was done before the Liberal reforms bean in

!"#%. The *onservative party passed a number of  

acts like the 5nemployed $orkmen7s 9ct in !"#:, and 

the 2mployment of *hildren 9ct !"#:. Local councils

passed byelaws on issues like child labour. They also 

cleared slum housin and built new housin for the 

poor.

bac!round source cA plan dran in 1900 shoing

orking class housing in the

!oundary "treet area o#  

!ethnal $reen a#ter it had been

cleared and rebuilt by the

ondon ounty ouncil

%&'( re#: &'( )0/69/18*+,

The problem was that a lot of the action depended on 

the attitude of the local authorities. )ome councils did

take action. 1thers did not, usually because of the 

cost of measures like buildin new housin.

Why did the Liberals taeaction in 1906#

But why did the overnment take action in !"#% as 

opposed to any other date( 1ne reason was that the 

Liberals were faced with so much evidence of such 

terrible poverty, hardship and ill health. 1ther factors 

also played their part.

In !"#% there were youn and ambitious politicians

who became part of the overnment. Two of the most 

important were 4avid Lloyd 8eore and $inston 

*hurchill. Both of these men felt that the state of  

Britain7s poor was a national disrace.

There were also political reasons for introducin

welfare reforms. The Liberals were concerned about 

the rowin popularity of the new Labour 'arty. They 

thouht that welfare reforms miht attract voters to 

their party instead of Labour. 9nother factor was 

national security. In !;"" Britain went to war in

)outh 9frica. $hen the army called for volunteers to 

 /oin up it was found that around <#= of those who

applied were unfit to /oin the army.

bac!round source d

45tract #rom a document 

produced by the 

Anthropological nstitute o#  

$reat !ritain commenting on 

the state o# health o# people

in !ritain

%&'( re#: & 8/61*,