Relief of the Poor Act 1782
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The Relief of the Poor Act 1782 (also known as Gilbert's Act)[1] was a British poor relief Act proposed by Thomas Gilbert which aimed to organise poor relief on a county basis, these counties would be grouped into parishes which could set up workhouses between them. However, these workhouses were only intended to help the elderly, sick and orphaned not able-bodied poor. The sick, elderly and infirm were cared for in poor houses whereas the able-bodied poor were provided with poor relief in their own homes. Gilbert's Act aimed to be more humane than the previous modification to the Poor Law, the Workhouse Test Act. During the 1780s, there was an increase in unemployment and underemployment due to high food prices, low wages and the effects of enclosing land. This caused poor rates to increase rapidly which wealthy landowners found unacceptable.
[edit] Attempts to pass legislation
Thomas Gilbert attempted to pass an Act 'for the Better Relief and Employment of the Poor' in 1765. Gilbert was a supporter of the Duke of Bedford which led to his act being blocked by Charles Wentworth, second Marquis of Rockingham. It took Gilbert 17 years to get his bill passed by parliament, eventually succeeding during Rockingham's second term as Prime Minister.
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