Poverty and welfare from 1815-1950 looks at how the Poor Law operated, the workhouse system and distinguishing between the deserving and undeserving poor. It will cover contagious diseases such as typhoid, scarlet fever, T.B and cholera and public health acts designed to help address these issues. It will also look at the work of social investigators into poverty and their influence on government policy leading to the Liberal reforms in the early 20th century, the Welfare State and the introduction of the NHS in 1948.