The 1834 Poor Law
While poor laws existed prior to this time, the Poor Law Act of 1834 (also known as the New Poor Law) replaced earlier legislation, where poor relief was mainly supplied by taxes from the middle and upper classes. The 1834 Poor Law reduced the burden to these classes and relegated relief to workhouses. In other words, the poor could only find relief at a workhouse. Workhouses offered accommodations and "employment" for those who could not support themselves financially. Conditions at workhouses were harsh and one would have been quite desperate to turn to this kind of relief. The new poor laws were ineffective in assisting with the welfare of the poor and the human condition.
Linked sources:
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/1834-poor-law/#b...