1. S5/6 From Cradle to the Grave
Beveridge’s Five Giants

2. To summarise so far
Britain start of the 19thC : rich and powerful country – Industrial Rev
Britain was originally dominated by Conservative and Liberal parties although this changed as more working men given vote : Labour Party emerged in 1906.
People were beginning to worry about declining power of Britain and increases in poverty.
Poor Law – government provided limited help (laissez-faire) to those who were very poor in form of workhouse where conditions were deliberately harsh to stop people seeking help.

3. …contd
Smiles came up with idea of self-help – people could escape poverty by saving money and living a sensible life.
Could save through organisations like Friendly Societies.
Working class helped themselves by setting up cooperative stores to provide good food at a fair price.
Voluntary Aid/Charities also important in helping those who were poor.
Booth and Rowntree helped change peoples attitudes about who could help people out of poverty.
Studied levels of poverty in London and York.
Showed approx. 30% of urban population in Britain was living in poverty.
Findings showed that the amount of poverty that existed required levels of help that could only be provided by the Government.
The Boer War showed that the population was unfit and healthy and that this was related to poverty.

4. …contd
By 1890’s increase in no. of working class voters and their concerns led to the emergence of the Labour Party.
Labour Party stood for policies that appealed to the working-class: dealing with poverty was particularly important.
Liberal Party also began to argue that state had a role to play in dealing with the problems of society.
They were elected in 1906 with a large majority.
Two important ‘New’ Liberals joined the party: W.Churchill and D.Lloyd George.
They were especially interested in social reform
Social reforms were passed for 4 main groups in society; the young, old, unemployed and sick
The Liberal Reforms had both strengths and weaknesses in the amount of help that was given to the poor.
Historians disagree about the significance of the Reforms.

5. …contd
WWI increased Government powers which led to more pressure for state action to solve social problems after the war.
WWII united different communities and classes of Britain with a common aim.
Bombing, evacuation and rationing raised awareness of continuing social problems.
WWII also caused the Government to get involved in more areas of peoples lives ie. MoF

6. The Beveridge Report Who was Beveridge
Beveridge was born in India in 1879 and was educated at a private school and at Oxford University. He became an expert on social welfare and unemployment problems and helped Churchill and Lloyd George with the writing of the laws for the Labour Exchanges and insurance during the time of the Liberal Government His best known work was the ‘Report on Social Insurance and Allied Services’ Beveridge used this report to set out his vision of welfare support ‘from cradle to the grave’. It was immediately popular with the British public and became a best-seller.

7. His 5 Giants
The five Giants were the problems that Beveridge believed stood in the way of social progress.
In order to fight these giants it would be necessary to provide a proper national health service and family allowance to those with children. Most importantly, the government should undertake a policy of full employment. Unemployment and sickness benefits were only one part of the answer to achieving progress.
Beveridge believed that tackling just one of the five giants wouldn’t do much good. If the welfare of the British people were to improve, then the government would have to try and solve all problems that stood in its way.
His ideas provided the basis for the policies of the ‘Welfare State’.

8. 5 Giants
Want
Disease
Ignorance
Squalor
Idleness

9. Giant How to overcome it
Want
An adequate income for all
Disease
Access to free health care
Ignorance
Access to education for all
Squalor
Adequate housing
Idleness
Full employment

10. Task