welfare and living standards

social welfare reforms

1924- public assistance system, provided help to the poor and destitute was modernised

1925- state accident insurance system, introduced by bismark to help those injured at work, extended to cover those suffering from occupational diseases

1927- national unemployment insurance system introduced to provide benefits for unemployed, financed by contribution from workers and employers

social reforms- analysis

• promised more than delivered, also very expensive.

• 1920- state support 800,000 disabled war veterans, 360,000 war widows, 900,000 war orphans. in addition to old age pensions and after 1927 unemployment benefits.

• needed large expensive bureaucracy to administer it. taxes prepared to increase after 1924 but limit to how much better off would pay.

• result = those administering benefits keep expenditure down, mean tests tightened up, snoopers used to check ppl not cheating system, increasing delays in paying benefits.

• those in need of support, inc large num of war veterans and families felt humiliated and insulted by welfare system undermining support for weimar.

Living standards and lifestyles

• living standards of millions deffo improved 1924-28, those in work rep by powerful trade union, able to maintain living standards by negotiating wage increases.

• those dependant on welfare less well off, prevented from poverty bc of welfare.

• business owners and salaried employees ben from improved G companies trading position

• those who lost savings by hyper unable to regain comfy life, farmer poor trading conditions n low price incomes fall.

(spare)