Liberal Reforms

What was the purpose of the Liberal reforms from 1906?

After the Liberal Party won the 1906 general election by a landslide, they began to introduce reforms to tackle poverty. Poverty was the cause of many health problems in British society.

Who did the Liberal reforms try to help?

The Liberal reforms aimed to help the most vulnerable members of society:

• ❖ The young.
• ❖ The old.
• ❖ The sick.
• ❖ The unemployed.

Why did the Liberal Party introduce reforms after 1906?

By 1906, there were 4 main factors which contributed to people realising that poverty was a very real problem in Britain:

• ❖ Social studies by Rowntree and Booth between 1891 and 1903, showed that many people lived below the poverty line, suffering from malnutrition and poor health.
• ❖ Britain needed a strong, healthy army to defend its empire. However, more than a third of recruits for the Boer War (1899-1902) were unfit as a result of poverty.
• ❖ People had to pay to see a doctor. Some doctors had 'sick clubs', where people paid an amount each week to cover their costs, but many people couldn't afford medical care.
• ❖ The Industrial Revolution had reduced the health of the people as it had created poor living conditions for the working classes. This had increased disease.

How did the Liberal reforms help children?

The Liberals introduced 3 main laws, between 1906 and 1908, to reduce poverty and ill-health in children:

• ❖ The Free School Meals Act of 1906 allowed local authorities to provide free school meals from local taxes, although many chose not to.
• ❖ In 1907, free medical inspections were introduced in schools.
• ❖ In 1908, the Children's Act made it illegal to neglect children, or to sell them alcohol or tobacco.

How did the Liberal reforms help the elderly?

In 1908, an 'old age pension' of five shillings a week was introduced for poor people over the age of 70.

How did the Liberal reforms help the unemployed?

In 1909, Labour Exchanges were developed to help the unemployed look for work. In 1911, the National Insurance Act provided them with unemployment payments.

How did the National Insurance Act, introduced under the Liberal reforms, help workers?

The National Insurance Act of 1911 provided a number of benefits to workers:

• ❖ It provided sick pay to ill workers, and allowed them to access free medical treatment.
• ❖ It paid money to workers without jobs for up to 15 weeks, and prevented them falling into poverty.
• ❖ It was paid for by contributions from employers, the government, and the workers themselves.