▁own ▁homes . ▁For ▁them , ▁this ▁ar du ously - g ained ▁' free ' ▁coal ▁was ▁more ▁important ▁almost ▁than ▁food ." ▁ ▁W elf are ▁state ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁Britain ▁had ▁a ▁relatively ▁advanced ▁w elf are ▁system ▁compared ▁to ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁industrial ised ▁countries . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁a ▁comp uls ory ▁national ▁un emp loyment ▁and ▁health ▁ins urance ▁scheme ▁had ▁been ▁put ▁in ▁place ▁by ▁the ▁Liberal ▁government ▁of ▁H . ▁H . ▁As qu ith ▁( see ▁Liberal ▁re forms ). ▁This ▁scheme ▁had ▁been ▁fund ed ▁through ▁contributions ▁from ▁the ▁government , ▁the ▁employ ers ▁and ▁the ▁workers . ▁At ▁first ▁the ▁scheme ▁only ▁applied ▁to ▁certain ▁tr ades ▁but , ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 , ▁it ▁was ▁expanded ▁to ▁include ▁most ▁manual ▁workers . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁scheme ▁only ▁paid ▁out ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁level ▁of ▁contributions ▁made ▁rather ▁than ▁according ▁to ▁need , ▁and ▁was ▁only ▁pay able ▁for ▁ 1 5 ▁weeks . ▁Anyone ▁un emp loy ed ▁for ▁longer ▁than ▁that ▁had ▁to ▁rely ▁on ▁poor ▁law ▁relief ▁paid ▁by ▁their ▁local ▁authority . ▁In ▁effect , ▁millions ▁of ▁workers ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁too ▁poor ly ▁paid ▁to ▁make ▁contributions , ▁or ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁un emp loy ed ▁long ▁term , ▁were ▁left ▁dest itute ▁by ▁the ▁scheme . ▁With ▁the ▁mass