Society 4
How effective were the welfare reforms of the Labour government between 1945 and 1951 in
addressing the social problems facing post war Britain?
The Attlee years were a remarkable time. The years between 1945 and 1951 saw nothing
less than the birth of modern Britain
Most obviously, the universal welfare state that we now take for granted was created by
the Labour government of Clement Attlee
Mass immigration began as new residents arrived from the West Indies, India and Pakistan
Ultimately this was to change the face of the country
Yet while the period is remembered as a golden age of renewal, it is frequently forgotten
that Attlee's Britain was in fact a drab and often unpleasant place to live
The war shattered Britain's finances, but had also instilled a longing for a better future
This found political expression in the outcome of the 1945 general election, where the
Labour party won its first ever parliamentary majority in a landslide victory
The most enduring legacy of the Attlee years was the welfare state
The Labour government implemented many of the ideas expounded in the Beveridge
report - a 1942 official study recommending a welfare state to insure people from 'the
cradle to the grave'. It became a national phenomenon, a blueprint for the creation of the
'New Jerusalem': a prosperous yet egalitarian society
Attlee's welfare state reflected this ambition. All taxpayers contributed to social insurance,
and everyone in the country was covered by it. Levels of benefits were standardised
The retirement pension was open to all and could be claimed at the age of sixty-five rather
than seventy
Under a scheme of family allowances, parents would receive a weekly payment upon the
birth of their second child (and this would increase with any subsequent children)
But the most significant measure was the creation of the National Health Service in July
1948
In replacing the ramshackle and localised pre-war system of healthcare, and in committing
the state to treat people free of charge no matter their condition, the NHS quickly became
enshrined as a cornerstone of national life
The government pursued radical policies elsewhere
Efforts were made to improve education for the mass of the people through the 1944
Education Act, and - in an attempt to avoid the high unemployment of the thirties - key
sectors of the economy were nationalised
The most important were heavy industries like coal and steel, and infrastructure such as
railways. The nationalisation programme stood alongside the welfare state as the major
legacy of the Attlee Years, enduring for more than three decades
But it was not all golden
Attlee's Britain was hit by severe economic storms
A balance of payments crisis in 1947 retarded the economy and while the problems were
largely a product of the war - as well as a notorious winter in 1947
Everyday life was drab and colourless
The Attlee years were blighted by inadequate and substandard housing. Living standards
were a major issue: rationing was actually extended during the post-war era, and in 1946
bread was rationed for the first time
Housewives struggled to feed their families; prices rose; calorie intake for most people
was below pre-war levels; and there were precious few consumer goods on the shelves
This grey existence quickly fractured the unity of wartime
, As such while the era of Attlee exerts a significant hold over the national memory, it is
equally important to emphasise that Britain at this time was not always a particularly
attractive place to live
Robert Crowcroft "Attlee's War: World War II and the Making of a Labour Leader"
LABOUR POLICIES FROM 1945-51: HOW FAR HAD LABOUR’S REFORMS TACKLED THE FIVE EVILS OF
BEVERIDGE’S REPORT?
In keeping with radical nature of the manifesto there was a raft of reform acts passed by the
government. The level of state involvement in society and economy was unprecedented outside of
war time but it was the experience of World War Two that had prepared the British public for
state ownership and control:
GIANT 1: ‘WANT’ - Poverty
1. 1945 Family Allowances Act
· 5 shillings / week
· Gave women direct payments and were of particular benefit to working class mothers
· The payment could only buy a limited amount of what was needed
2. 1946 National Insurance Act
· Universal act
· Applied National Insurance (NI) to all employees
· Comprehensive in the risks it covered
· In return for weekly NI payments by employees and employers, it provided unemployment and
sickness benefits, maternity grants, death grants, allowances for widows and their children,
allowance for orphans and an old age pension.
3. 1946 Industrial Injuries Act
· Universal – covered the whole workforce
· Widened and made more generous compensation for injuries and illness caused at work
· It provided injury benefit for 6 months, disability benefit for those permanently injured, and a
death benefit for dependants
· Tribunal were set up to assess cases rather than the whole burden of proving a case resting on
the claimant
· Claims for compensation for industrial injuries remained difficult to prove especially for work
related illnesses which took years to develop
4. 1948 National Assistance Act
· Bevan (Minister for Housing and Health) pressed this on the govt
· Designed to provide basic financial help for anyone who fell through the net of other benefits
· It finally ended the Poor Law by transferring financial responsibility for the destitute from local to
central government
· The National Assistance Board provided benefits to people who could not fend for themselves.
· It also forced local authorities to provide accommodation for the homeless
· However, it applied a personal means test to applicants, although this was generously
interpreted
GIANT 2: IGNORANCE - Education
1944 Education Act – Passed by the war coalition but implemented by Labour after the war
· Free secondary education fpr all – compulsory until 15 (then raised to 16)
· Most Labour councils adopted a tripartitie model – grammar school, technical schools and
secondary modern – places decided by 11 plus exam
· However, it left many with a sense of failure at the age of 11 due to the 11 plus exam
· Technical schools were neglected in many areas
How effective were the welfare reforms of the Labour government between 1945 and 1951 in
addressing the social problems facing post war Britain?
The Attlee years were a remarkable time. The years between 1945 and 1951 saw nothing
less than the birth of modern Britain
Most obviously, the universal welfare state that we now take for granted was created by
the Labour government of Clement Attlee
Mass immigration began as new residents arrived from the West Indies, India and Pakistan
Ultimately this was to change the face of the country
Yet while the period is remembered as a golden age of renewal, it is frequently forgotten
that Attlee's Britain was in fact a drab and often unpleasant place to live
The war shattered Britain's finances, but had also instilled a longing for a better future
This found political expression in the outcome of the 1945 general election, where the
Labour party won its first ever parliamentary majority in a landslide victory
The most enduring legacy of the Attlee years was the welfare state
The Labour government implemented many of the ideas expounded in the Beveridge
report - a 1942 official study recommending a welfare state to insure people from 'the
cradle to the grave'. It became a national phenomenon, a blueprint for the creation of the
'New Jerusalem': a prosperous yet egalitarian society
Attlee's welfare state reflected this ambition. All taxpayers contributed to social insurance,
and everyone in the country was covered by it. Levels of benefits were standardised
The retirement pension was open to all and could be claimed at the age of sixty-five rather
than seventy
Under a scheme of family allowances, parents would receive a weekly payment upon the
birth of their second child (and this would increase with any subsequent children)
But the most significant measure was the creation of the National Health Service in July
1948
In replacing the ramshackle and localised pre-war system of healthcare, and in committing
the state to treat people free of charge no matter their condition, the NHS quickly became
enshrined as a cornerstone of national life
The government pursued radical policies elsewhere
Efforts were made to improve education for the mass of the people through the 1944
Education Act, and - in an attempt to avoid the high unemployment of the thirties - key
sectors of the economy were nationalised
The most important were heavy industries like coal and steel, and infrastructure such as
railways. The nationalisation programme stood alongside the welfare state as the major
legacy of the Attlee Years, enduring for more than three decades
But it was not all golden
Attlee's Britain was hit by severe economic storms
A balance of payments crisis in 1947 retarded the economy and while the problems were
largely a product of the war - as well as a notorious winter in 1947
Everyday life was drab and colourless
The Attlee years were blighted by inadequate and substandard housing. Living standards
were a major issue: rationing was actually extended during the post-war era, and in 1946
bread was rationed for the first time
Housewives struggled to feed their families; prices rose; calorie intake for most people
was below pre-war levels; and there were precious few consumer goods on the shelves
This grey existence quickly fractured the unity of wartime
, As such while the era of Attlee exerts a significant hold over the national memory, it is
equally important to emphasise that Britain at this time was not always a particularly
attractive place to live
Robert Crowcroft "Attlee's War: World War II and the Making of a Labour Leader"
LABOUR POLICIES FROM 1945-51: HOW FAR HAD LABOUR’S REFORMS TACKLED THE FIVE EVILS OF
BEVERIDGE’S REPORT?
In keeping with radical nature of the manifesto there was a raft of reform acts passed by the
government. The level of state involvement in society and economy was unprecedented outside of
war time but it was the experience of World War Two that had prepared the British public for
state ownership and control:
GIANT 1: ‘WANT’ - Poverty
1. 1945 Family Allowances Act
· 5 shillings / week
· Gave women direct payments and were of particular benefit to working class mothers
· The payment could only buy a limited amount of what was needed
2. 1946 National Insurance Act
· Universal act
· Applied National Insurance (NI) to all employees
· Comprehensive in the risks it covered
· In return for weekly NI payments by employees and employers, it provided unemployment and
sickness benefits, maternity grants, death grants, allowances for widows and their children,
allowance for orphans and an old age pension.
3. 1946 Industrial Injuries Act
· Universal – covered the whole workforce
· Widened and made more generous compensation for injuries and illness caused at work
· It provided injury benefit for 6 months, disability benefit for those permanently injured, and a
death benefit for dependants
· Tribunal were set up to assess cases rather than the whole burden of proving a case resting on
the claimant
· Claims for compensation for industrial injuries remained difficult to prove especially for work
related illnesses which took years to develop
4. 1948 National Assistance Act
· Bevan (Minister for Housing and Health) pressed this on the govt
· Designed to provide basic financial help for anyone who fell through the net of other benefits
· It finally ended the Poor Law by transferring financial responsibility for the destitute from local to
central government
· The National Assistance Board provided benefits to people who could not fend for themselves.
· It also forced local authorities to provide accommodation for the homeless
· However, it applied a personal means test to applicants, although this was generously
interpreted
GIANT 2: IGNORANCE - Education
1944 Education Act – Passed by the war coalition but implemented by Labour after the war
· Free secondary education fpr all – compulsory until 15 (then raised to 16)
· Most Labour councils adopted a tripartitie model – grammar school, technical schools and
secondary modern – places decided by 11 plus exam
· However, it left many with a sense of failure at the age of 11 due to the 11 plus exam
· Technical schools were neglected in many areas
