What were the three categories of the poor?

The three categories of the poor, as established by historical poor laws, were the able-bodied poor, the impotent poor, and the idle poor. These classifications were crucial for determining how individuals received aid and what was expected of them in return.

Historically, societies distinguished between different types of poverty to manage and distribute relief effectively. This categorization helped overseers provide appropriate support, ranging from work opportunities to institutional care, based on a person's perceived ability and willingness to contribute.

1. The Able-Bodied Poor

Also known as the "deserving poor," this category included individuals who were physically capable of working but were unemployed. Their poverty was often attributed to external factors like economic hardship, lack of opportunities, or illness that temporarily prevented work.

• Characteristics: Fit for work, but unemployed.
• Treatment: Generally provided with work, often in workhouses or through parish-organized labor. The goal was to make them self-sufficient, and relief was typically conditional on their willingness to work. They were seen as deserving of assistance that would lead them back to employment.

2. The Impotent Poor

This group comprised individuals who were genuinely unable to work due to circumstances beyond their control. This included the elderly, the chronically ill, the disabled, orphans, and young children. They were considered deserving of direct support because their condition prevented them from earning a living.

• Characteristics: Unable to work due to age, illness, disability, or being a dependent (e.g., child).
• Treatment: Provided with direct relief, which could include food, shelter, clothing, or care in almshouses or poorhouses. This aid was typically non-punitive, recognizing their helplessness.

3. The Idle Poor

This category was for those who were perceived as unwilling to work, including vagrants, beggars, and those who refused available employment. They were often viewed with suspicion and faced the harshest treatment, as their poverty was attributed to moral failings rather than misfortune.

• Characteristics: Able to work but choosing not to; often engaged in begging or vagrancy.
• Treatment: Subject to punitive measures. They might be whipped, branded, or sent to houses of correction (bridewells) to force them into labor or deter their lifestyle. The aim was to reform them or remove them from public spaces.

The distinction between these categories formed the backbone of poor relief systems, guiding the distribution of aid and the implementation of social policies for centuries.