Liberal Reforms - Successful or Unsuccessful - Advantages and disadvantages table in A Level and IB History

Created by: blackwid0w
Created on: 15-04-14 08:19


	Liberal Reforms - Successful or Unsuccessful
	Advantages Regarded as the 'beginnings of a Welfare State' The Health Insurance legislation covered 13 million by 1914 The Old Age Pensions Act virtually ended relief to over 70's By 1914 over one million were claiming the OAP, costing the exchequer about £12 million - this coincided with the govts new 'interventionist' role. According to Aikins, the Liberal Reforms softened the impact of the 1930s depression.	Disadvantages OAPs were only paid to over 70's when the average life expectancy was less than 57. National Insurance only covered men and the lowest paid workers. Health Insurance wasn't administered nationally, and there was no Minister of Health until 1919. Health Insurance only covered the worker, not his family, and didn't include opticians or dentists. The Poor Law wasn't abolished and stayed in place until 1929. The Education Acts weren't imposed on local councils, so not all children benefited from them.
	Evaluation Overall, I think that the country was a lot better off with the Liberal Reforms, but I still think they had quite a few flaws.The main problem was that the legislation didn't cover enough people and only covered the bare minimum. For example, the OAP Act only covered people over 70, and this was much higher than the national average life expectancy in 1914. Furthermore, the Education Acts would've been much more effective if they weren't permissive, because they were simply ignored by many local authorities.

Liberal Reforms - Successful or Unsuccessful

Advantages

Regarded as the 'beginnings of a Welfare State'
The Health Insurance legislation covered 13 million by 1914
The Old Age Pensions Act virtually ended relief to over 70's
By 1914 over one million were claiming the OAP, costing the exchequer about £12 million - this coincided with the govts new 'interventionist' role.
According to Aikins, the Liberal Reforms softened the impact of the 1930s depression.

Disadvantages

OAPs were only paid to over 70's when the average life expectancy was less than 57.
National Insurance only covered men and the lowest paid workers.
Health Insurance wasn't administered nationally, and there was no Minister of Health until 1919.
Health Insurance only covered the worker, not his family, and didn't include opticians or dentists.
The Poor Law wasn't abolished and stayed in place until 1929.
The Education Acts weren't imposed on local councils, so not all children benefited from them.

Evaluation

Overall, I think that the country was a lot better off with the Liberal Reforms, but I still think they had quite a few flaws.The main problem was that the legislation didn't cover enough people and only covered the bare minimum. For example, the OAP Act only covered people over 70, and this was much higher than the national average life expectancy in 1914. Furthermore, the Education Acts would've been much more effective if they weren't permissive, because they were simply ignored by many local authorities.

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Liberal Reforms - Successful or Unsuccessful