Reforms to help the sick
National Insurance Act (Part 1) 1911
The successes of this were:
- provided compulsory health insurance for workers earning under ÂŁ160 per year
- paid 4 pence, the employer paid 3 pence and the state paid 2 pence - to provide sickness benefit of 9 shillings
- if ill, was paid 10 shillings (for up to 13 weeks) then 5 shillings (for an additional 13 weeks)
- was offered free medical treatment
- was offered 30 shillings for maternity benefit
The limitations of this were:
- after 26 weeks' absence from work, benefits were lost and the Poor LawIn 1834 a new 'Poor Law' was introduced. It ensured that the poor were housed in workhouses, clothed and fed. had to provide for the worker
- there was no provision for the worker’s family
- many found that the contributions actually made poverty worse as they were paid less