Old Age Pensions Act 1908

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The Old Age Pensions Act 1908 was a landmark UK social welfare law that introduced non-contributory state pensions for elderly people with low incomes.

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Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom
social welfare legislation
administrationBy British Post Office
surface form: Post Office (payment of pensions)

local pension committees
aim provide basic income security in old age
reduce poverty among the elderly
associatedWithPolitician David Lloyd George
Herbert Henry Asquith
benefitTargetGroup elderly people
low-income elderly people
benefitType cash benefit
cameIntoForce 1909-01-01
country United Kingdom
eligibilityCriterion age 70 or over
means-tested income
residence in the United Kingdom
exclusionCriterion certain criminal convictions
habitual failure to work
receipt of poor relief
fundingSource general taxation
geographicCoverage England
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
surface form: Ireland (then part of the United Kingdom)

Scotland
Wales
historicalSignificance first nationwide state pension scheme in the United Kingdom
major reform of Liberal welfare reforms (1906–1914)
milestone in the development of the British welfare state
implementedBy Board of Customs and Excise (initial administration oversight)
influenced National Insurance Act 1911
influencedBy German social insurance reforms
introducedBy Liberal Government (1905–1915)
jurisdiction United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
languageOfText English
legalStatus amended
legislature British Parliament
surface form: Parliament of the United Kingdom
pensionNature non-contributory state pension
pensionPaymentFrequency weekly payments
policyArea old-age pensions
poverty relief
social security
precededBy National Assistance Act 1948
surface form: Poor Law system
relatedConcept social insurance
welfare state
relatedReformMovement New Liberalism
royalAssentDate 1908-08-01
shortTitle Old Age Pensions Act 1908 self-link
subjectHeading Old age pensions—Law and legislation—Great Britain
typeOfPension non-contributory pension
yearEnacted 1908

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Liberal Government (1905–1915) legislated Old Age Pensions Act 1908
National Insurance Act 1911 relatedTo Old Age Pensions Act 1908
Old Age Pensions Act 1908 shortTitle Old Age Pensions Act 1908 self-link
Liberal Party (UK) supportedPolicy Old Age Pensions Act 1908