Causes

• The Boer war (1899-1902) found that 38% of potential recruits were unfit to serve in medical grounds
• Seebohm Rowntree published a study of living conditions in York and found that over 25% of people lived in poverty in 1901
• From 1889 to 1903 Charles Booth paid for research into poverty on the East end of London and through that and living there himself he discovered 35% of people were living in poverty.
• Charles Booth suggested old age pensions