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in 1563, Justices of the Peace were given power to raise funds to support the poor and categories were drawn up: deserving poor, underserving poor.
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In 1572, it was made compulsary for people to pay a local poor tax,
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In 1597, every district must have had an overseer of the poor. They worked out how much money was needed for the poor and set the poor rate accordingly.
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The poor law was passed in 1601
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The Poor Laws of 1834 made the conditiions of the workhouses even nastier.
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In 1834, another new poor law was enacted. This Act stated that no able bodied were to receive money unless they were in the workhouse. Also, the conditions of the workhouse were to be made very harsh which discouraged people from wanting to receive help.
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in 1850's, there were 200,000 people in the workhouse. Men separated from women, able bodied from those who were less fit. All jobs were intended to punish you for being poor. Types of jobs: stone breaking, oakum-picking.