1. Liberal Welfare Reforms
Success?

2. 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

3. The Young
Children’s Charter 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

4. The Old
Pensions 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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