Work

The new poor law and the health of the population of England and Wales

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: We estimate the impact of reductions in poor law expenditure on rural life expectancy and mortality rates in England and Wales following the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act. Given the scale of cuts imposed, our estimates imply 8–10 per cent increases in mortality at ages 1–4 years and 2–4 per cent falls in rural expectation of life at birth. This is consistent with the reformers’ policy of reducing child allowances for larger families. These results help to explain the weak performance of national mid‐nineteenth century life expectancy measures during a period of rising real wages but falling welfare expenditure.

Source: The Economic History Review

DOI: 10.1111/ehr.70035

Authors: David Green, Gabriel Mesevage, Graham Mooney, Simon Szreter

Institutions: King's College London, Johns Hopkins University, University of Cambridge

Language: English

Topic: Historical Economic and Social Studies

Subfield: Economics and Econometrics

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: No poverty

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,900