Pearson Edexcel · A-Level · History
Course version: 9HI0 · Version from Sept 2015
Poverty, public health and the state in Britain, c1780–1939 - 1 Paupers…
Full specification wording
Paper 3, Option 34.2: Poverty, public health and the state in Britain, c1780–1939 - 1 Paupers and pauperism, 1780–1832: Pressures for change: financial and ideological arguments; the influence of Bentham’s Utilitarianism.
By the 1820s the old poor law faced mounting criticism.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 9HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 3 of 3
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
By the 1820s the old poor law faced mounting criticism. Financially, wartime spending and the allowance system pushed poor rates up, especially in southern agricultural parishes, alarming ratepayers and landowners. Ideologically, Malthus blamed allowances for encouraging population growth and idleness, while evangelicals and political economists stressed self-help and moral improvement. Bentham’s Utilitarianism judged institutions by their usefulness in producing the greatest happiness; his followers, including Edwin Chadwick, applied this to poverty, favouring central inspection, uniform rules and deterrent workhouses. These pressures shaped the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, though opposition and local resistance qualified its impact.
What earns the marks
- Explains financial pressures: rising poor rates, wartime expenditure and the cost of allowances in agricultural parishes.
- Explains ideological pressures: Malthusian fears about population, evangelical moral reform and political economy’s emphasis on self-help.
- Defines Bentham’s Utilitarianism as the greatest happiness principle and links it to usefulness, inspection and uniform administration.
- Connects Utilitarian influence to the 1834 Act through figures such as Chadwick and the idea of deterrent workhouses.
- Weighs the relative force of financial and ideological arguments and notes limits such as local opposition.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Reducing Utilitarianism to mere cost-cutting.
Put it right by explaining its principle of the greatest happiness and its administrative implications.
Attributing the 1834 Act solely to Bentham.
Put it right by balancing financial, Malthusian and evangelical pressures.
Confusing Malthus with Bentham.
Put it right by separating Malthus’s population argument from Bentham’s utility principle.
Exam tips
- Pair each pressure with a named thinker or report to show precise evidence.
- Use a short causal chain from pressure to policy to demonstrate analysis.
- Conclude on which pressure was most significant and justify with evidence.
Try the lesson
The start of the Paper 3, Option 34.2: Poverty, public health and the state in Britain, c1780–1939 - 1 Paupers and pauperism, 1780–1832: Pressures for change: financial and ideological arguments; the influence of Bentham’s Utilitarianism. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which principle is most closely associated with Bentham's Utilitarianism as a pressure for changing the poor laws?
Listen
By the 1820s the old poor law faced mounting criticism. Financially, wartime spending and the allowance system pushed poor rates up, especially in southern agricultural parishes, alarming ratepayers and landowners. Ideologically, Malthus blamed allowances for encouraging population growth and idleness, while evangelicals and political economists stressed self-help and moral improvement. Bentham’s Utilitarianism judged institutions by their usefulness in producing the greatest happiness; his followers, including Edwin Chadwick, applied this to poverty, favouring central inspection, uniform rules and deterrent workhouses. These pressures shaped the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act, though opposition and local resistance qualified its impact. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Explains financial pressures: rising poor rates, wartime expenditure and the cost of allowances in agricultural parishes. Explains ideological pressures: Malthusian fears about population, evangelical moral reform and political economy’s emphasis on self-help. Defines Bentham’s Utilitarianism as the greatest happiness principle and links it to usefulness, inspection and uniform administration. Connects Utilitarian influence to the 1834 Act through figures such as Chadwick and the idea of deterrent workhouses. A common slip: Reducing Utilitarianism to mere cost-cutting. Instead, explaining its principle of the greatest happiness and its administrative implications. Exam tip: Pair each pressure with a named thinker or report to show precise evidence.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Poor law finance and ratepayer anxiety
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Malthusian population theory
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Utilitarian reform and centralisation
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Ideology and the 1834 Amendment Act
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See every definition
- Poor law finance and ratepayer anxiety
- Wartime spending and the allowance system pushed poor rates up, especially in southern agricultural parishes, alarming ratepayers and landowners.
- Malthusian population theory
- Blamed allowances for encouraging population growth and idleness.
- Utilitarian reform and centralisation
- Judged institutions by their usefulness in producing the greatest happiness, favouring central inspection, uniform rules and deterrent workhouses.
- Ideology and the 1834 Amendment Act
- Financial and ideological pressures shaped the Act, though opposition and local resistance qualified its impact.
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