The new government was able to offer certain benefits to unemployed people. However, potential recipients had to satisfy the authorities that they genuinely needed the relevant payments. How did the government establish this?

British society was hit hard by the depression of the 1930s. Britain was one of the first countries to be affected by the Wall Street Crash in 1929. As the USA greatly restricted imports a trading nation like Britain was bound to feel the impact. The 1929-31 Labour government fell under the pressure of the slump and a coalition tried to cope with the aftermath.