The Liberal government elected with a landslide majority in 1906 introduced a series of welfare reforms that amounted to the beginning of the welfare state. These were driven by several motivations:

The new Liberalism: A new generation of Liberal politicians — including David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill — believed the state had a responsibility to protect citizens from poverty caused by illness, unemployment, and old age. This "new Liberalism" broke from the Victorian belief in self-help and individual responsibility.

The threat from Labour: The newly founded Labour Party (1900) was winning working-class votes. The Liberals needed to offer real social reform or risk losing their working-class support permanently. The reforms were partly defensive politics.

The Boer War shock: Finding that 40% of army recruits were physically unfit was alarming for a nation that depended on military strength. A healthy, educated working class was a matter of national security, not just social justice. Lloyd George reportedly said "you cannot maintain an A1 Empire with a C3 population."

Social research: Rowntree's and Booth's surveys provided hard statistical evidence that poverty was structural — not the result of individual laziness or drunkenness — and that the scale was far larger than previously admitted. Evidence-based policy was new; it made inaction harder to justify.

Reform	Date	What It Did	Who Benefited
Free school meals	1906	Local councils given power to provide free school meals to malnourished children	Poor children — estimated 100,000+ fed daily by 1914
School medical inspections	1907	Regular medical inspections of all schoolchildren to identify health problems	Children — but note: inspections identified problems without always providing treatment at first
Old Age Pensions Act	1908	5 shillings per week (7s 6d for a couple) for those aged 70+ with incomes below £21/year. Paid at the post office — no need to enter the workhouse	Elderly poor — Lloyd George called them "God's children"
Labour Exchanges Act	1909	Established government offices where unemployed could find out about available jobs	Unemployed workers — over 1 million vacancies filled in first year
National Insurance Act	1911	Part 1 (health): Workers contributed 4d/week, employers 3d, state 2d — providing sick pay and medical treatment. Part 2 (unemployment): Covered 2.5 million workers in seasonal trades; 7 shillings/week for up to 15 weeks	Workers in covered industries — about 13 million for health, 2.5 million for unemployment

These reforms were controversial. Conservatives accused the Liberals of "socialist" policies and excessive taxation. The constitutional crisis of 1909-1911 — when the House of Lords rejected Lloyd George's "People's Budget" (which raised taxes to pay for reforms) — led to the Parliament Act 1911, which permanently removed the Lords' power to block financial legislation.

This deep dive covers The Liberal Reforms, 1906-1914 within Britain in Peace and War, 1900-1918 for GCSE History. Revise Britain in Peace and War, 1900-1918 in Component Group 3 — British Depth Studies for GCSE History with 14 exam-style questions and 18 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 3 of 17 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

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How did the National Insurance Act 1911 work?

Workers paid 4d/week, employers 3d, state 2d. Part 1 (health): sick pay and medical treatment for ~13 million workers. Part 2 (unemployment): 7 shillings/week for up to 15 weeks for 2.5 million workers in seasonal trades.

What did the Old Age Pensions Act 1908 provide?

5 shillings per week (7s 6d for a couple) for those aged 70 or over with incomes below £21/year. Paid at the post office — no need to enter the workhouse. Lloyd George called the recipients 'God's children.'

The Liberal Reforms, 1906-1914

Practice questions for Britain in Peace and War, 1900-1918

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