The Workhouse Test Act 1723 (9 George 1, c.7) also known as the General Act or Knatchbull's Act
was
poor relief legislation passed by the British government by
Sir Edward Knatchbull in 1723. The "workhouse test" was that a person who wanted to receive poor relief had to enter a workhouse and undertake a set amount of work. The test was intended to prevent irresponsible claims on a parish's
poor rate
In England and Wales the poor rate was a tax on property levied in each parish, which was used to provide poor relief. It was collected under both the Old Poor Law and the New Poor Law. It was absorbed into 'general rate' local taxation in the ...
.
Knatchbull's legislation For Amending the Laws relating to Settlement, Employment and Relief of the Poor marked the first emergence of the
workhouse test
The workhouse test was a condition of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834. It stated that anyone who wanted to get poor relief must enter a workhouse. The condition was never implemented in Britain and outdoor relief continued to be given. The inte ...
although this principle was adopted more fully after the passing of the Poor Law Amendment Act.
Under the act parishes could provide relief as an individual parish, combine with other parishes or poor relief could be sub-contracted out to those that would feed, clothe and house the poor in return for a weekly rate from the parish.
Between 1723 and 1750, 600 parish
workhouse
In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse' ...
s were built in England and Wales as a direct result of Knatchull's Act. The costs of this
indoor relief
In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse' ...
was high especially when workhouses were wasteful; this led to the passing of
Gilbert's Act in 1782.
References
External links
The text of the Act
Poor Law in Britain and Ireland
Great Britain Acts of Parliament 1723
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