Social insurance.

Date:
1944
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Social insurance. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    60 (ii) To set up a Statutory Committee consisting of a representative of each Associa- tion and representatives of the Government with an independent Chairman appointed by the Minister. The functions of this Statutory Committee would include the investigation of excessive sickness claims, the co-ordination of arrangements for sick. visiting, the investigation of cases of alleged maladministration, and the co-ordination of administra- The underlying basis of this suggestion is that the presence, in such aggregations, of individual Societies giving substantial voluntary sickness benefits would ensure economical administration throughout the whole unit. There seems little substance in this argument and in any event the largest of the various aggregations proposed would not include any constituent Society providing a voluntary sickness benefit. APPENDIX IIL MISCELLANEOUS POINTS IN THE SCHEME 1. This Appendix sets out the Government’s proposals on a number of miscellaneous matters, mostly connected with. machinery or procedure. It does not purport to be exhaustive. It would be impracticable to enumerate in a Paper of this character all the points of detail requiring settiement in the prepara- tion of a comprehensive scheme of social insurance. The items mentioned are included, partly as being of sufficient importance in themselves to justify mention, and partly by way cf illustration of the various problems that arise. CONTRIBUTIONS, EXCUSALS, EXEMPTIONS, ETC. 2. The following is a broad outline of the proposed arrangements for payment ot contributions. 3. Weekly Contribution.—There will be a single weekly contribution for all pur- poses for each person, though the amount will depend upon sex and classification, with lower rates for persons under age 18. The rates of contribution are set out in paragraph 48 of the Paper. The method of payment will normally be by purchase of the appropriate stamp to be affixed to the insurance card. The payment of contributions due will be enforceable by legal proceedings. Every week in the year should be accounted for either by contributions or by the exemptions or excusals referred to below, which may be granted in special circum- stances. : 4. Contribution Record.—A_ person’s contribution record, i.e. the number of Class I, II or IV stamps and excusals, will determine his right to the various benefits to be provided under the scheme for each insurance Class. The position of a married woman unless she is separately insured will be governed by her husband’s contribution record. 5. Excusals.—Contributions will be ‘‘ excused,’’ i.e will be deemed to have been paid for the purpose of certain contribution conditions, as follows:— Excusal from Grounds Class I contributions Certified sickness, maternity and unem- ployment. Class IV contributions Receipt of widow’s or guardian’s benefit or widow’s pension (other than the 10s. widow’s pension payable under the existing scheme or the _ transitional arrangements); full-time educational in- struction of students and others, sub- ject to certain conditions; and unpaid Rae apprenticeship. All contributions Receipt of training allowance. 6. Exemptions.—It is proposed to exempt persons in certain circumstances from payment of contributions. Contributions in such cases will not be exacted from the exempt person although if he has an employer the employer’s share of the contribution will be payable. Except in the case of maternity benefit, contributions from which persons are exempted will not be deemed to have been paid for the purpose of satis- fying the contribution tests. (The rights of exempt persons under the National Health Service will not be affected by the fact that they are exempt from the payment of social insurance contributions.)
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