What were the major changes that took place in attitudes to poverty and welfare between 1834 and 1914?.
There were many changes in attitudes to poverty and welfare between 1834 and 1914. The beginning of this period saw the industrial revolution, which changed the ways the economy and society functioned and also the increasing urbanisation made poverty more visible. There were many factors that contributed to theses changes, some of which are outlined in books, and evidence through the growth of the electorate and the rising fear of socialism. In order to examine the attitudes towards poverty and welfare during 1834-1914, I will look at the attitudes before that time and then examine how far attitudes had changed.
The Poor Law was established in 1601. This was organised through parishes and funded through property tax. The poor were divided into two groups, the deserving and the undeserving. The impotent poor were to be looked after in poorhouses and the undeserving able-bodied that wanted relief were to be set to work in a workhouse while they continued living at home. The deserving able-bodied were receiving outdoor relief in the form of food, money and clothing. Those who continued begging were to be placed in a house of correction. Pauper children were to be apprenticed to a trade so that they could support themselves when older. All this was done through parishes with unpaid, non-professional administrators. Local magistrates appointed local overseers, who were empowered to levy a poor rate on property in the parish and use the money for the relief of the parish poor. The administrators knew the people they gave relief to as there were small parish units, so it was hard to distinguish between the deserving and undeserving. Instead, the deserving were placed in workhouses with horrific conditions and the undeserving given outdoor relief. These problems saw criticism from members of society at the time and also the increasing expenditure on the poor.
