Poverty was a major problem in Tudor England and it became significantly worse in Elizabethan times.

Causes of Poverty

Dramatic population increase led to higher inflation and lower wages.
Poor harvests also led to food prices increasing.
The shift towards sheep farming required far fewer labourers than growing crops and also encouraged the enclosure of common land, reducing grazing for the poor.
Diseases such as the plague and smallpox left families without a wage earner.
War with Spain led to higher taxes.
The Dissolution of the Monasteries created unemployment and meant there was less help for the poor.

Government Action:

In Tudor times the poor were divided into two groups: the deserving poor (who deserved charitable help) and the undeserving poor (who deserved punishment). Under Henry VIII treatment of the undeserving poor became harsher – beggars could be whipped, branded or even hanged.

At the start of Elizabeth's reign:

Henry VIII's laws still applied, with harsh punishments.

The Middle of her Reign:

The 1576 Act for Setting the Poor on Work created a new class of poor people – the able-bodied poor who were capable but unable to find work.
Local authorities were now responsible for providing work for the able-bodied poor.
Local areas began to build more hospitals, almshouses (homes for the poor paid for by wealthy people’s charitable donations) and workhouses.
National laws still focused on punishment.

The 1601 Poor Law:

This was a turning point in the treatment of the poor because for the first time the government took a direct responsibility for the welfare of its people.

Everyone had to pay a poor rate.
The poor rates would be used to build workhouses for the poor who were unable to find work (indoor relief).
The old and the sick would be given outdoor relief, i.e. money for food and shelter in an almshouse.
The law still allowed whipping and hanging for persistent beggars.

GCSE Elizabethan England 1568-1603 AQA

Poverty