How did Tudor society view the undeserving poor?
In general, Tudor policy towards poor relief was based on a distinction between the deserving poor (those unable to work through sickness, disability or age), who were to be provided with relief; and the undeserving (those considered able but too idle to work), who were to be punished.
Who were the deserving poor in Tudor times?
Elizabethans grouped the poor into two groups: Deserving poor: These poor were people who were unable to work due to being ill, disabled or simply being too old. Elizabethan society was often sympathetic to these people.
What did Elizabeth do about the poor?
they brought in a compulsory nationwide Poor Rate system. everyone had to contribute and those who refused would go to jail. begging was banned and anyone caught was whipped and sent back to their place of birth. almshouses were established to look after the impotent poor.
What does idle poor mean?
those who could work but would not: these were the idle poor. those who were too old/ill/young to work: these were the impotent or deserving poor. They were to be looked after in almshouses, hospitals, orphanages or poor houses.
What is undeserving poor?
Definition of undeserving poor old-fashioned. : poor people who are thought to have bad moral character and do not deserve to be helped.
What were the three categories of the poor?
The poor were divided into three groups by the government:
- The first were called Helpless Poor.
- The second group was called the Able Bodied Poor.
- The third group, the more dangerous, are itinerant Rogues and Vagabonds, who roam the highways begging and stealing.
Why were the Elizabethan Poor Laws significant in dealing with poverty?
The Elizabethan Poor Law operated at a time when the population was small enough for everyone to know everyone else, so people’s circumstances would be known and the idle poor would be unable to claim on the parishes’ poor rate. The act levied a poor rate on each parish which overseers of the poor were able to collect.
How did the poor law system change under Elizabeth?
The Elizabethan Poor Law allowed that tax to be levied at a rate that was deemed neccessary and affordable within each parish. Therefore the rates varied from one Parish to the next. This parochial approach also meant that the level of provision varied. In some parishes the care was much better than in others.
What is meant by the phrase deserving vs undeserving poor?
The ‘deserving’ are those in need who are unable to work because they are too old, disabled, or too sick. The ‘undeserving’ are people who don’t want to work and often it is assumed that all able-bodied unemployed people fit into that category.
What is the difference between the concepts of deserving and undeserving poor?
The deserving are those who are in need and are unable to work because they are too old, disabled, or too sick. The undeserving poor are those who don’t want to work, and often it is assumed that all able-bodied unemployed people fit into this category.
Who were the unworthy poor?
Beginning in the Elizabethan Era, unworthy poor was a label placed on able bodied people that appeared to choose to not work. They were often treated harshly and in extreme cases, put to death (Shelly, 2011). In today’s society such treatment would be unheard of.