Majority report (Poor Law)

The Majority report was a report published by the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws published in 1909. The Royal Commission on the Poor Laws was a group set up to work out the best way to relieve the poor of economic and societal hardship. The Commission was made up of members of the Charity Organisation Society such as Helen Bosanquet as well as Local Government Boards, Trade Unions and social researchers such as Charles Booth.

The majority report was, however, only one report the Royal Commission published. Another report known as Minority report was also published.

Findings of the report

• The origins of poverty were moral factors
• The Poor Law should remain
• Boards of Guardians provided too much outdoor relief
• Able-bodied poor were not deterred from seeking relief because of mixed workhouses.

Poor Laws of the British Isles
Poor Laws by territory	England and Wales Scotland Ireland Isle of Man Channel Islands	Nantwich workhouse
Old Poor Law	Vagabonds and Beggars Act 1494 Tudor Poor Laws Act for the Relief of the Poor 1597 Elizabethan Poor Law (1601) Poor Relief Act 1662 Poor Act 1697 Workhouse Test Act Relief of the Poor Act 1782 House of Correction Overseer of the poor Poor rate Poor relief
Relief systems	Indoor relief Outdoor relief Classification of the poor Speenhamland Labour Rate Roundsman Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor
New Poor Law	Royal commission (1832) Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845 Less eligibility Workhouse Workhouse test Board of guardians Outdoor Labour Test Order Outdoor Relief Prohibitory Order Poor law unions Opposition Book of Murder Scottish poorhouses
Changes after 1834	Poor Law Commission Poor Law Board Local Government Board Andover workhouse scandal Huddersfield workhouse scandal Union Chargeability Act
Decline and abolition	Liberal welfare reforms Royal Commission (1905–09) Majority Report Minority Report Interwar poverty National Assistance Act 1948
Other	Historiography of the Poor Laws Timeline of the Poor Law system Poor Relief Act List of poor law unions in England List of poor law unions in Wales List of Irish Poor Law Unions