Poor law amendment act

When was the poor law amendment act passed

1834

What were the existing arrangements prior to the new poor law?

The nation’s 15,000 parishes were tasked with welfare via the speenhamland system (payment according to family size) and outdoor relief whilst some areas used local farmers as their source via the roundsman system (work vouchers)

What were the issues with the existing arrangements

The speenhamland system was outdated and parishes became burdened. Furthermore, employers would underpay their employees deliberately, believing that outdoor relief would supplement them sufficiently.

What were the terms of the poor law amendment act? (7)

Outdoor relief would only be kept for the old and infirm

The able bodied would only be able to find relief in workhouses

workhouses were deliberately kept vile to deter people from… being poor?

A central poor law commission would be established in London

Parishes would be folded into poor law unions and given a workhouse

Workhouses would be run by an elected board

7 classes of pauper were established for workhouse organisation (old and infirm to under 7s, men above women)

What good did it do? (4)

Appeased the middle and upper classes who had concerns about benefit scrounging

updated the old, ineffective system

cut costs

stepping stone for future legislation

What were its setbacks? (3)

Implementation was shoddy, especially up north

Had railway mania not have created employment the cutoff of outdoor relief would have been disastrous for the industrial, urban poor

It was hated by people (e.g. workhouses were dubbed whig bastilles)