Poor law policy,unemployment, and pauperism

This paper argues that English poor relief records are a useful indicator of real income and employment trends for the very poor for 1860–1910. Changes in poor law policy after 1870 reduced levels of outdoor pauperism substantially, but had little effect on indoor pauperism; increasing expenditure per indoor pauper at the turn of the century probably increased rates of indoor pauperism. Pauperism returns indicate considerable regional diversity in income trends and trade cycles. Southern indoor pauperism declined relative to London and the north. Trade cycles in the north follow fluctuations in exports—the poor in southern England are much less affected. Gains in real income were concentrated before 1900, and smaller than wage series indicate.