Your quality of life during the Victorian times depended on whether you were rich or poor.

• Wealthy Victorians enjoyed a good and easy life
• Poor Victorians had a rough and hard life, often ending up in the workhouse or early death.

Below is a table showing you some of the differences between rich and poor people:

What does being poor mean?

Being poor means having little money or few possessions.

You need money to buy things such as as food and clothes. If you don't have much money you can't buy many things.

Why did many children from poor families have to work?

Most children from poor families had to work because their families needed the money.

Having a job is important so you can earn money. The more people in a family who work, the better chance of having more money. More money means more food and better living conditions.

Find out about life for rich and poor children

What happened to the very poor people?

Very poor people with no home or job lived in 'workhouses'.

Find out about workhouses

Find out about factories and houses