Summary of the provisions of the National Assistance Bill.

Date:
1947
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Summary of the provisions of the National Assistance Bill. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ‘NATIONAL ASSISTANCE BILL - SUMMARY OF THE PROPOSED NEW NATIONAL ASSISTANCE AND > LOCAL AUTHORITY SERVICES _ This paper contains a general description of the proposed new services for which the Bill provides. It is intended only as a summary, and as such tt _ cannot always be in precise terms. For more exact definition of what is proposed, reference should be made to the Bull itself. . INTRODUCTORY I. The Bill applies to England and Wales and to Scotland. Its general _ object is to substitute for certain existing services a comprehensive scheme of assistance and welfare services which will complete the main pattern of the new social legislation, of which the Family Allowances Act, the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act, the National Insurance Act, and the National Health Service Acts are other principal features. _ 2. The institution of a scheme of this kind entails an extensive repeal of _ existing legislation, and in particular, the repeal of the Poor Law. It is, indeed, a fundamental object of the Bill to achieve the final break-up of the Poor Law and to create entirely new services founded on modern conceptions of social welfare. 3. The Bill makes provision for a eae a services falling into two main groups— A. National Assistance, taking the form mainly of financial aid to those in need (and whose needs are not otherwise met by National Insurance or from any other source). This is to be a function of central government and a national, not a local, charge—and all local government responsibility for the relief of destitution will give place to it. B. Residential accommodation for the aged, the infirm, and others who require care and attention to be provided in this way, with special welfare services for certain handicapped persons. This is to be a local government function entrusted to the councils of counties, county boroughs, and (in Scotland) large burghs, and a local rate charge with some Exchequer assistance. It will not be concerned with the relief of destitution as in the past, and the local poor law institution—as now known—will disappear. 4. The two services, founded on the above apportionment of function between central and local government, are described below. A.—NATIONAL ASSISTANCE _ 5. The Bill provides a unified State service of financial assistance according to need in place of various existing services provided by either the State or Local Authorities. The services which will be replaced are— (1) Unemployment Assistance, now paid by the Assistance Board to insurable unemployed persons not qualified for Unemployment Benefit and to persons receiving such benefit who find it insufficient for their needs: (2) Supplementary Pensions, now paid by the Assistance Board to old age pensioners, and also to widow pensioners if they are over 60 years old or their pensions include an additional allowance in respect of a child; (3) Blind Domiciliary Assistance, now paid by Local Authorities to registered blind persons; 61377 A2
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