"There was no welfare state, and people had to rely mainly on the Poor Law - that was all the state provided. It was very degrading, very humiliating. And there was a means test for receiving poor relief"

In this quote, Barbara Castle is describing the absence of federal government support for those in need throughout a specific time period. She points out that there was no well-being state, implying that there were no social programs or safety nets in location to help those who were struggling economically. Instead, people had to rely on the Poor Law, which was the only kind of assistance offered by the state. Castle stresses that this was a degrading and humiliating experience for those who had to look for assistance through the Poor Law. Furthermore, she mentions a means test, which was a way of identifying eligibility for bad relief, further highlighting the difficult and frequently dehumanizing process of receiving assistance during this time.