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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    (4) Tuberculosis Treatment Allowances, now paid by Local Authorities 4 (at the cost of the Exchequer) to certain persons suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis who give up employment in order to undergo treatment, and (5) Out-door Relief under the Poor Law, now paid by Local Authorities to persons in need who cannot be assisted under any of the foregoing services. The National Assistance Board 6. The new service is to be administered by a National Assistance Board, who will be required to exercise their functions in such manner as will best promote the welfare of the persons affected. The Board will stand in the same relation to the Minister of National Insurance as the Assistance Board stand at present. They will be required to make annual reports to the Minister, ~ who will lay the reports before Parliament. Persons who may apply for assistance 4. Any person aged 16 years or over who is in need will be able to apply for assistance, including a person who needs assistance in supplementation of a pension or insurance benefit. Where need is established the assistance will provide for any dependants as well as for the applicant. The Bill makes no provision for the needs of children under the age of 16 who are not being cared for by a parent or other adult person, since it is intended to deal © with the care and maintenance of such children in another Bill. 8. It is expected that applicants for assistance will, in the main, be persons who are aged, disabled, or sick, and who are living in their own homes. Assistance grants will, however, also be made to persons living in residential accommodation provided by Local Authorities under the Bull, if their resources are insufficient to enable them to meet the minimum charge which the Authorities are to make. Administrative arrangements 9. Decisions on individual cases will be given in the first instance by the Board’s local officers whose powers will include authority to grant immediate assistance in an urgent case. Assistance may be in money or in kind as the circumstances require. Applicants dissatisfied with a decision by the officer will have a right of appeal to an independent local Appeal Tribunal. The Tribunals will consist of three persons, a Chairman and one other member — appointed by the Minister of National Insurance and a third member selected in rotation from a panel of persons nominated by the Minister to represent workpeople. The second member appointed by the Minister takes the place, assistance, of a member appointed by the Assistance Board to represent the ~ Board. There will also, as at present, be Advisory Committees of persons having local knowledge and experience in matters affecting the Board’s functions to advise both on general questions and on difficult individual _ cases. Determination of need 10. Standards of assistance.—In deciding whether a person is in need, and — the extent of any assistance to be granted, the Board’s officers are to give effect to Regulations made by the Minister of National Insurance. It is — intended that these Regulations should, like the present Regulations for — unemployment assistance and supplementary pensions, lay down scales of
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