Making of Modern Britain 1880-1951 - liberal reforms (the sick)

1. Making of Modern Britain
Liberal
Reforms:
the sick

2. In today’s class, I am learning to:
• Describe Liberal Reforms which
helped sick people
• Explain why these reforms were and
were not effective
Liberal Reforms – the sick

3. For many people in the early 1900s, illness or injury
meant poverty if they could not work. Some of the
Liberal Reforms aimed to improve this situation.
Liberal Reforms – the sick

4. At the start of twentieth
century, people in Britain
had to pay to see a doctor.
Many could not afford to
do this.
The Liberals introduced the
1911 National Insurance
Act, which included
provisions that aimed to
help the sick.
Liberal Reforms – the sick

5. Part 1 of the National
Insurance Act introduced
health insurance for
workers.
This meant that workers
paid money each week to
the government, and if
they were too sick to work
then they would receive
sick pay.
Liberal Reforms – the sick

6. To receive, workers paid 4
pence per week from
their wages.
Also the government
contributed 2 pence and
employers gave 3 pence.
The scheme became
known as ‘ninepence for
fourpence’.
Liberal Reforms – the sick

7. The sick pay scheme
brought many benefits.
Workers knew that if they
became sick they would
still have money, saving
them from abject poverty
or homelessness.
They were also given free
access to a doctor too.
Liberal Reforms – the sick

8. However there were also
problems with sick pay.
Workers received ten
shillings per week for the
first 13 weeks and then
five shillings per week for
another 13 weeks.
However after this they
received no income.
Liberal Reforms – the sick

9. Many workers also
complained that being
forced to pay money each
week (even if they were
not sick) left them poorer
than beforehand.
Also, only the worker was
eligible for medical care.
No treatment was available
for their family.
Liberal Reforms – the sick

10. In 1906, the Liberals
introduced the Workmen’s
Compensation Act.
This meant that if an
employee was injured or
killed when at work, they
(or their family) would be
eligible to receive
compensation from their
employer.
Liberal Reforms – the sick

11. Compensation levels varied
from person to person.
Workers had to absent
from work for at least a
week before they could get
any money.
They could get up to half of
their weekly wage during
their absence.
Liberal Reforms – the sick

12. If a worker was killed their
dependants could get
money up to the value of
the worker’s wages for the
previous three years.
If a worker had no
dependants then the
employer only had to pay
for the funeral (not more
than £10).
Liberal Reforms – the sick

13. Giving compensation to
injured workers meant that
they did not immediately
face poverty due to being
unable to work.
In addition this possible
cost forced employers to
improve working
conditions so that it was
safer for their staff.
Liberal Reforms – the sick

14. However employers often
avoided paying this
compensation.
It often required workers
to go to court to prove that
the injury had been their
employer’s fault, and many
people could not afford to
do this, at least without
trade union help.
Liberal Reforms – the sick