Finally, the idle poor, those who had no desire to work or undertook unlawful activities; these were sent to a House of Correction or prisons. (Alchin, 2014).
With the industrial revolution change came, people needed to be mobile and move into cities and parishes could no longer cope. In 1834 the Poor Law Amendment Act was introduced, along with this came the changing attitudes towards poverty. In contrast to the 1601 law, opinions of poverty being inevitable began to change and the poor were viewed by many, notably the Bourgeoisie as being responsible for their own impoverished circumstances. The New Poor Law was designed to be punitive and reduce the burden of looking after the poor. Should people require assistance they no longer had a choice they had to go into workhouses and earn their clothes, food or wage with manual work. The workhouse was intended to be the only means of relief and working conditions in the workhouse had to be worse than the worst job possible outside the workhouse. This principle existed to deter people from claiming poor relief. For the most part, workhouse conditions were materially adequate when compared with what was available outside. Paupers were fed and housed. Some education and medical facilities were provided. (Bloy, 2002) Again people were placed into groups, the undeserving poor and the deserving poor. The undeserving were those who were considered able bodied paupers who could work, but wouldnt. This was not considered acceptable and the undeserving poor were often subjected to beatings until they changed their way of thinking and sought employment. The deserving poor were those who were old, ill or impotent. These were seen as those that would work but couldn't. The deserving poor were given help via outdoor relief or in almshouses. (Howard, 1993).
The Boer war of 1899-1902 highlighted the poor state of health people were living in when one out of every three volunteers failed the army medical due to bad diet and living conditions.