‘The social reforms of the Liberal governments of 1906 to 1914 had a limited impact.’

When was the National Insurance Act?

1911

What was the National Insurance Act Part 1?

Sickness and ill-health

What did the National Insurance Act Part 1 lead to?

The state organising a compulsory scheme of contributions by employer, worker and govt for a national fund to finance limited healthcare

How much did workers, employers and the govt contribute weekly?

Workers: 4d/week

Employers: 3d/week

The Govt: 2d/week

What did DLG argue in regards to National Insurance Part 1?

The worker got '9d for 4d'

How many people did National Insurance Part 1 cover? Of what population?

13 million (of a 45 million population)

What did workers who qualified get from the NI scheme?

10s per week for 13 weeks

5s per week for a further 13 weeks

What was the maximum time a worker could receive NI Part 1 benefits for?

26 weeks

What was the maternity grant given to the wives of insured workers?

30s

Were more workers covered for health or unemployment?

More workers were covered for health than for unemployment

Limitations of NI P1:

How much did a worker have to earn to be eligible?

It was only for workers earning less than £160 per year.

Limitations of NI P1:

Who did the act cover? Thus, not...

The Act covered the male contributor, not his family as well

Limitations of NI P1:

Hospital treament under the scheme had to be paid for unless ___

TB

Limitations of NI P1:

What did Labour think of NI?

Labour thought that the worker paid too much and wanted it raised from taxes.

Limitations of NI P1:

Why were Trade Unions suspicious of the state?

They were taking on a role that they, insurance companies and Friendly Societies had provided to 5.5 million ppl.

Limitations of NI P1:

After the 26 week mark, where were workers forced to turn?

After 26 weeks, workers fell under the Poor Law.

IJ: National Insurance Part 1

The introduction of National Insurance for sickness and ill-health marked a significant ideological shift towards collective responsibility and state intervention. Despite its somewhat narrow coverage, it was groundbreaking in pioneering the first national system of compulsory health insurance.

What did National Insurance Part 2 concern?

Unemployment

What did National Insurance Part 2 create?

The first comprehensive government-sponsored unemployment insurance scheme in the UK.

What was the weekly contribution of insured workers, their employers and the govt?

2 1/2 d/week

When an insured worker became unemployed, how much would he receive, and for how long?

When an insured worker later became unemployed, he would receive 7s/week for a maximum of 15 weeks.

How many workers did the scheme originally cover?

2.25 million workers

What type of trades were initially covered by the NI Unemployment Scheme?

'Insured trades' that regularly experienced seasonal or cyclical unemployment (eg. building/shipbuilding)

Limitations of NI P2: Unemployment

Why did most workers have to rely on savings, private insurance or trade union support?

Most workers weren't covered by the scheme.

Limitations of NI P2: Unemployment

Insurance payments by employer and worker were _______.

Compulsory

Limitations of NI P2: Unemployment

How many weeks was it designed for?

It was designed for 15 weeks of unemployment only

IJ: NI Part 2, Unemployment

National Insurance Part 2 established the first national system of unemployment benefits, marking a crucial first step in the development of a welfare state and protecting workers in industries most vulnerable to job losses.

When was the Old Age Pensions Act?

1908

How much was the full state pension for a single person?

5s/week max

What was the state pension for a married couple?

7s 6d

What was the age for an Old Age state pension?

70+

How much did you have to earn to be eligible for a state pension?

Less than £31 pa

Character requirement of the state pension:

Record of work, no poor relief or imprisonment

When was the character requirement on state pensions removed by?

1914

How many people received the state pension in 1915?

1 million people

Comparison: How many ppl had a pension (work-related, not state) in 1905?

Only 25,000

How many ppl did the Old Age Pensions Act remove from poor relief?

122,000

How was the OAP Act funded?

Through taxation: 'DLG's money'

Limitations of the OAP Act 1908:

What was the poverty line of Booth? VS What means did those eligible for an OAP need to be on?

£50pa needed as a living wage

Those eligible for an OAP needed to be on less than £31pa (and thus in poverty)

Limitations of the OAP Act 1908:

How many ppl remained in receipt of poor relief?

300,000 ppl remained in receipt of poor relief

Limitations of the OAP Act 1908:

Only the poorest got the max. How much did you have to earn to get the full pension?

Under £21pa = full pension, under £31pa = half pension

Limitations of the OAP Act 1908:

Why did Labour attack the OAP Act?

Labour attacked it as TOO SMALL

IJ: OAP Act 1908/the Elderly

Though the Old Age Pensions Act 1908 had many limitations, it laid the groundwork for future social welfare legislation and marked a foundation shift from prior laissez-faire attitudes.

Education and Children: Point

Education reform in this period was predominantly palliative, exposing the extent of child poverty while not addressing poverty as the root cause of malnutrition and health issues.

When was the Education (School Feeding) Act?

1906

What was the Education (School Feeding) Act 1906?

Education legislation that introduced free school meals for poor children.

By what year did the govt meet half the costs for the Education Act 1906?

By 1912, the govt met half the costs

Limitations of the 1906 Education Act:

In 1913, what percentage of LEAs provided FSMs?

50%

Limitations of the 1906 Education Act:

It was _________.

PERMISSIVE

How many FSMs were given in 1914?

14 million

What does the giving of 14 million FSMs in 1914 represent?

The extent of child poverty

The 1906 Education Act was thus a PALLIATIVE measure

It did not address the root problem of poverty and thus health deteriorated again during the skl holidays and malnutrition remained

What education legislation introduced school medical inspections?

The Education Act 1907

Despite being a compulsory check, what percentage of LEAs implemented free inspection?

75%

Limitations of the Education Act 1907

Cursory check — there was no free healthcare (ineffective, diagnosed illnesses, but did not solve them)

IJ: Education reform

The education reform of the Liberal government from 1906 to 1914 had a limited impact, as the measures were, respectively, palliative and permissive.

Wage, work and employment: Point

Advances were made regarding wages, work and employment, yet this excluded women and non-unionised workers, and low wages remained nonetheless.

When did Churchill set up trade boards?

1909

What + how many industries did Churchill set up trade boards in?

Churchill set up trade boards in four industries notorious for intense levels of exploitation ('Sweated Trades'), low wages and no union to protect interests.

What was the aim of the Trade Boards?

To set minimum wages and inspect conditions

How many workers did Trade Boards cover at the start?

20,000

By 1913, how many trades did Trade Boards cover?

6

By 1913, how many coal miners did Trade Boards cover?

1 million coalminers

What percentage of GB's workforce suffered low wages?

30%

What did employers often do rather than paying a minimum wage?

Invested in machinery

Evidence to show the improvement of labour exchanges:

How many workers were registered by 1914?

2 million workers registered by 1914

Evidence to show the improvement of labour exchanges:

How many exchanges were there in 1914? How many jobs did they find per day?

430 exchanges finding 3,000 jobs per day.

Limitations of labour exchanges:

How many found work?

1 in 4

What did the Coal Mines Acts of 1908 and 1911 do?

Fixed the length of a working day underground to 8 hours and improved safety regulations

What did the Shops Act 1911 do?

Create a weekly half-day for shop workers (usually Wednesday)

Limitations of Trade Boards

What industry was excluded?

Domestic service

Limitations of Trade Boards:

___ of women were employed in domestic services.

40%+

Limitations of Trade Boards:

Who were excluded?

Many exploited non-unionised workers

IG: Wages, work and employment

Reforms related to wages, work and employment were somewhat effective, establishing greater state intervention in work, but had a limited scope.

Overall Judgement: Lib Reforms 1906-1914

While the Liberal reforms of 1906-1914 were one of Britain's most ambitious welfare reform programmes, there were several limitations to the reforms they passed: the reforms made limited inroads into the problem of poverty; the pensions paid were inadequate; and the unemployment benefits helped only certain trades. In addition, although the employee was provided for, his family was not. Despite this, these Liberal Reforms marked a stark ideological shift between old laissez-faire attitudes and those of a more collectivist nature.