LEARNING INTENTIONSLEARNING INTENTIONS

• Describe effect of the 1945-51 Labour governments’ social reforms:

• Health (Disease)

• Education (Ignorance)

• Housing (Squalor)

• Employment (Idleness)

• Poverty (Want)

The 1945-51 Labour Governments are often remembered for setting up the modern welfare state. These governments passed many changes which aimed to protect everyone in Britain (rich or poor) from the ‘cradle to the grave’.

Before 1945 there was help available for people, including those introduced by the pre-WW1 Liberal governments.

However many people were still very poor and needed more help. Others felt that after a war they should not continue to live in poverty.

In 1942 a man called William Beveridge was asked by the wartime government to conduct a study into social problems in Britain at the time.

The Beveridge Report (as it became known) was the basis for setting up the welfare state.

The Beveridge Report identified five major problems in Britain.

They became known as the ‘Five Giants’ and were:• Ignorance (lack of education)

• Disease (poor health)

• Squalor (poor housing)

• Want (poverty)

• Idleness (unemployment)

Even before Labour’s election in 1945, the wartime government accepted the conclusions of the Beveridge Report.

They began to put in places some changes. However it was the election of Labour – led by Prime Minister Clement Attlee - that really led to social action.

The NHSThe NHS

The 1945-51 governments are remembered for many things but the most famous is setting up the NHS in 1948.

The National Health Service aimed to eradicate the Giant of disease by offering healthcare to all.

The NHSThe NHS

The NHS had three aims:•Universal access•Treat all medical problems•Free at the point of use

Before this more than half of the British population had no medical cover, meaning they often went without.

The NHSThe NHS

Although the NHS was set up to be free, the costs were too high. Eventually charges were introduced e.g. 1952, prescription charges.9

Also, many hospitals were out-of-date and in a poor condition.

Family Allowances ActFamily Allowances Act

In 1945 the newly-elected Labour government brought in the Family Allowances Act. This was to help tackle ‘want’.

The Act gave weekly payments to all mothers with two or more children. The payment was 5 shillings per week for each child (except the oldest).

Family Allowances ActFamily Allowances Act

The Family Allowances Act was a huge help to families where the husband had been killed during the war.

Also as it was paid directly to the mother it was felt that this would make it more likely to be spent on household items.

Family Allowance ActFamily Allowance Act

The F.A.A. was hugely helpful to many – but it did not help families with only one child.

Also the payment stopped at 18 which often forced the young person to work, rather than continue with their education.

National Insurance ActNational Insurance Act

The 1946 National Insurance Act built on the work started by the original Act in 1911.

All working age people had to pay money to the government each week, which led to them being given help when they needed it.

National Insurance ActNational Insurance Act

People could get sickness and unemployment benefit, an old age pension (women at 60, men at 65) and other benefits such as maternity and death grants.

This was a far more generous type of welfare cover than ever before.

National Insurance ActNational Insurance Act

Weekly contributions were around 5% of earnings, a lot to the very poorest people.

Not everyone was protected by the new law e.g. self-employed people, married women, etc.

Pension levels were still low.

National Assistance ActNational Assistance Act

Many people could not afford to pay National Insurance, so in the 1948 the National Assistance Act was introduced.

This allowed poor people to apply for extra financial help if they needed it.

National Assistance ActNational Assistance Act

This Act meant that the very poorest – who would have missed out on help – were given assistance e.g. £2 per week for married couples.

This was especially helpeful for elderly people that did not qualify for a pension.

National Assistance ActNational Assistance Act

Many people complained that people who had not paid anything were receiving government benefits.

Also it was means-tested and not universal, which many felt went against the spirit of the welfare state.

New Towns ActNew Towns Act

The government tried to tackle the problems of overcrowding and slum housing by building new houses.

In 1946 the New Towns Act was launched. This aimed to end the Giant of squalor.

New Towns ActNew Towns Act

The Act aimed to improve housing by building new towns across Britain in nicer areas than crowded cities.

14 new towns were built by 1951, creating new homes and communities e.g. East Kilbride, Glenrothes, Livingston, Milton Keynes.

New Towns ActNew Towns Act

There were few jobs or facilities such as shops created in the new towns.

This meant that although people could live there they often faced long journeys to travel to work or to socialise.

House buildingHouse building

The government announced plans to build 200,000 new houses each year.

Most would be available for rent and so were available to workers. Pre-fab houses were built and jobs were created to make them.

House buildingHouse building

Many new houses were built but less than the 200,000 per year which was promised.

This meant that overcrowding continued and there were long housing waiting lists.

The Education ActThe Education Act

The 1944 Education Act was designed by the wartime government, although brought by Labour to tackle ignorance.

The Act aimed to improve education by raising the school leaving age to 15, meaning all children would get at least a secondary education.

The Education ActThe Education Act

Under the Education Act, all children sat an exam age 11 (called the 11+). Those that passed went to better schools, meaning they could get better jobs.

Those that failed went to schools where they received technical training.

The Education ActThe Education Act

The 11+ (or ‘qualy’ in Scotland) was criticised because children that failed often remained stuck in poverty.

Many others argued that it was unfair to base a child’s future on one exam taken at age 11.

NationalisationNationalisation

The government believed that the country – not private companies - should control important industries such as coal mining, steel works and the rail network.

As such Labour took control of these industries at different times e.g. steel, 1948.

NationalisationNationalisation

Once the government owned these industries this meant the government could use tax money to keep unprofitable businesses going.

This meant that more people were in work. Apprentice numbers could be high too. This helped tackle idleness.

NationalisationNationalisation

Many of the improvements after nationalisation helped people already in work, not create new jobs.

For example paid holidays were introduced in the coal industry.

Better working conditionsBetter working conditions

The Labour government also introduced new laws to improve working conditions.

The 1947 Dock Labour Scheme tried to end the temporary nature of dock work. This meant people could be more attracted to work in difficult jobs.

Better working Better working conditionsconditions

However as with nationalisation these changes mostly benefitted people already in work.

It did little to create work. Some argue it put firms off hiring extra staff too as it was more expensive.