1st January 1909 : Old Age Pensions are Introduced
From the Liberal History website:
ON THIS DAY: 1st January 1909 introduced by Prime Minister Asquith and Chancellor David Lloyd George :
The first state-provided Old Age Pensions can be drawn in the UK. Pensions are paid at a maximum of five shillings a week for single people and seven and six for married couples payable to people over 70, earning less than £21.10s a year, not in receipt of poor relief and of good character. Once approved pensions are paid every Friday at the local post office. 490,000 people qualified for pensions but by 1911 this had risen to over one million. In recognition of the role that Lloyd George played in introducing the old age pension it was for many years also known as ‘the Lloyd George!’.
