Less eligibility
Less eligibility was a British government policy passed into law in the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834.[1] It stated that conditions in workhouses had to be worse than conditions available outside so that there was a deterrence to claiming poor relief. In reality this meant that an individual had to be destitute in order to qualify for poor relief.
Rationale
The developers of less eligibility were convinced that their actions were utilitarian in principle. They had no problem with the aged and genuinely infirm who could not work under any circumstances (in reality, a fairly limited number). Instead, they thought the problem was the larger numbers of the able-bodied who either could not or would not earn enough money to support themselves. It was perceived that paying money to this category would increase their number.
Limitations
Less eligibility did not apply to children, who were considered blameless for their poverty.
Criticism
Bloy states that the separation of husbands and wives was the subject of "great hostility".[2]
References
External links
- Victorian web.org - The Principle of 'less eligibility'
- v
- t
- e
- England and Wales
- Scotland
- Ireland
- Isle of Man
Nantwich workhouse
- Vagabonds and Beggars Act 1494
- Tudor poor laws
- Poor Relief Act 1597
- Poor Relief Act 1601
- Poor Relief Act 1662
- Relief of the Poor Act 1696
- Poor Relief Act 1722
- Relief of the Poor Act 1782
- House of correction
- Overseer of the poor
- Poor rate
- Poor relief
- Buttock mail
- Outdoor relief
- Speenhamland
- Labour Rate
- Roundsman
- Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor
- Royal commission (1832)
- Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
- Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845
- Less eligibility
- Workhouse
- Workhouse test
- Board of guardians
- Outdoor Labour Test Order
- Outdoor Relief Prohibitory Order
- Poor law unions
- Opposition
- Book of Murder
- Scottish poorhouse
- Liberal welfare reforms
- Royal Commission (1905–09)
- Majority Report
- Minority Report
- Interwar poverty
- National Assistance Act 1948