LIBERAL%20WELFARE%20REFORMS

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LIBERAL WELFARE REFORMS

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Motivation

• New Liberalism
• Booth and Rowntree
• National Efficiency
• Continuing with Conservative reforms
• Threat from new Labour Party
• Pressure from Trade Unions and Socialist groups

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The Young

• School Meals Act (1906) introduced a Labour
  initiative, allowed local authorities to arrange
  for school meals
• School Medical Inspections (1907) sneaked into
  a more general administrative Act.
• Childrens Charter (1908) forbade child
  begging, children in pubs or the sale of
  alcohol/tobacco to children under 16

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The Old

• The Old Age Pensions Act 1909 pensions of 5s.
  Per week to persons over 70 years old (7s.6d. To
  married couples)
• The Peoples Budget supposed to raise 16m for
  defence and old age pensions. Budget increased
  income tax, death duties, licensing, tobacco and
  spirit duties new taxes on cars, petrol and
  land. Rejected in Nov 09 but passed the following
  April.

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The Employed

• Trade Disputes Act 1906 reversed the Taff Vale
  Judgement
• Workmens Compensation Act 1906 made
  compensation payable for accidents arising out of
  the workmans employment
• Coal Mines Act 1909 limited the working day of
  coalminers to 8 hours
• Trade Boards Act 1909 fixed minimum wage for
  sweated trades

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cont

• National Insurance Act 1911
• Shops Act 1911 gave shop workers guaranteed
  time off work
• Minimum Wage for miners 1912

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The Sick and Unemployed

• Labour Exchanges 1908
• National Insurance Act 1911
• Part I Sickness Benefit
• Employees contributed 4d a week, employers
  contributed 3d a week and the State contributed
  2d a week (9d for 4d).
• Benefits include free medical treatment,
  maternity benefit and sick pay for up to 26 weeks

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cont

• Part II Unemployment Benefit
• Employees contributed 2.5d per week, employers
  contributed 2.5d per week the State contributed 1
  2/3d per week.
• Benefits included 7s per week for up to 15 weeks
  paid through the Labour Exchanges

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The Parliament Act 1911

• Came about after the Peoples Budget and
  Constitutional Crisis
• Reduced the powers of the House of Lords stall
  Bills
• Reduced the life of Parliament to 5 years
• Gave MPs a wage set at 400 pa

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General Success

• State became involved in the regulation of life
  for the young children better fed, healthier
  and better educated
• OAPs were financed from general tax
• Pensions were administered by the Post Office
  removing the shame of the Poor Law
• Unemployment benefits were administered by the
  Labour Exchanges

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General Criticisms

• Local Authorities did not have to provide school
  meals
• Medical inspections for children merely
  identified problems not a solution
• OAPs were limited to the over 70s
• Health Insurance only covered the worker, not the
  family
• Labour Exchanges were voluntary
• Unemployment Benefit was for a limited number of
  industries

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Historians Views

• Cross and Williams are of the view that the
  Liberal Reforms were successful and laid the
  foundations of the future Welfare State C.Cross
• Evans and Hay think the reforms were more
  limited many participants in the creation of
  the Liberal reforms had no thought of creating a
  Welfare State of the type which developed after
  1945 J.R. Hay