British Depth Study

Liberal Reforms:

•1906 – year the liberals win the general election.

•45- life expectancy of men and women who are poor.

•1906- year when Churchill swaps party to the liberals.

•1908- children and young persons act.

•5 shillings- pension for a single person.

•70- age for pension.

•650,000- number of people claiming pension in first year.

•1911- national insurance act.

•4d- payment workers paid to health insurance each week.

•7 shillings- unemployment benefit.

•1890-1900- 1/3 people living in poverty.

•Casual work meant no guarantee of payment at all times, unstable job.

•Person pays what they want, no legal amount set.

•Charles Booth: successful businessman, made a poverty map of London which took 19 years to complete. It showed that the poverty problem had escalated, and his map was taken seriously because he was successful. 

•Seebohm Rowntree: made a study of York, and found that 20,000 out of 46,000 surveyed were living in poverty. Came up with the phrase ‘the poverty line’. Helped persuade the liberal govt to act. 

•John Galt: was a missionary. After seeing child exploitation in the textile industry, he applied for missionary service. This was declined, but Galt helped set up a relief fund after the winter of 1893/94 as many people lost their jobs due to poor weather. He illustrated his findings. He attempted to convert the poor.

•3 main political parties: conservatives, labour, liberals.

•Reasons why the liberal govt acted: -social reformers, increasing info about poverty, a need for an effective workforce and policitcal rivalry. 

•The chancellor of the exchequer, David Lloyd George had experience of being poor and he hated the way the upper classes dominated life and wanted change.

•Churchill swapped to liberals as he supported welfare reforms.

•Changes by the reforms: - children: 1908 children and young persons act and 1907 medical care was…