1. LIBERAL WELFARE REFORMS

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

3. 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. • Children’s Charter (1908) – forbade child begging, children in pubs or the sale of alcohol/tobacco to children under 16

4. 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 People’s 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.

5. The Employed • Trade Disputes Act 1906 – reversed the Taff Vale Judgement • Workmen’s Compensation Act 1906 – made compensation payable for accidents arising out of the workman’s employment • Coal Mines Act 1909 – limited the working day of coalminers to 8 hours • Trade Boards Act 1909 – fixed minimum wage for sweated trades

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

7. 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

8. 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

9. The Parliament Act 1911 • Came about after the People’s 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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