Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/91

 NATIONAL INSURANCE — OLD AGE PENSIONS 39

National Insurance.

Under the National Insurance Acts, 1911 to 1920, provision is made for compulsory insurance against loss of health, for the preTention and cure of sickness, and for compulsory insurance against unemployment.

(i) National Health Insurance.— This is administered by the Ministry o Health in England and Vales and corresponding Departments in Scotland and Ireland ; by other specially constituted authorities ; and by approved friendly societies, trade unions, Ac. The persons who are compuls«>rily insured, known as employed contributors, comprise, with certain exceptions, all males and females aged 16 and under 70, whether British subjects or not, employed under contract of service express or implied, whether paid by time or piece. Among persons excluded are those employed otherwise than in manual labour at a rate of remuneration exceeding 250J. per year. Insured persons who are not members of an Approved Society must contribute to a Post Office Fund and are known as deposit con- tributors; their benefits are limited. Special provisions exist for married women, the army, navy, and air force, mercantile marine, and certain other classes. Certain persons not compulsorily insured may become voluntary contributors. The funds are provided by the employer (cVf, per week per employed person), the worker (M. per week by males and 4d. by females), and the State. Special rates are applicable in cases of voluntary insurers, and low wage-earners, and the rates in Ireland are Id. lower for contributors and }«". lower for employers than in Great Britain. Contributions cease at the age of 70 when the Old Age Pension Acts (?.».) come into play. The benefits include medieal treatment, sanatorium treatment, payments during sickness (ordinary rate 15». per week for men, and 12«. for women), and disablement (7a, 6{ million £.

(ii) Unemployment Insurance. — This is administered ny the Board of Trade through the Employment Exchanges, Trade Unions, and Friendly Societies. Under the Unemployment Insurance Acts, 1920 and 1931, substantially all persons covered by the Health Insurance scheme art eompulsorily insured against unemployment, except out-workers and persons employed in agriculture and private domestic service. Employees of local authorities, rail- ways, and certain other public utility undertakings, and persons with rights under statutory superannuation schemes, are also exempted where the Minister of Labour certifies that they are employed under conditions which make the National Insurance unnecessary. The eontri- 1 ulionsfrom July 3, 1921, are : Men of 18 and over,6d. per week from employer and 6d. from employee ; women of 18 and over, 5d. from employer and id. from employee ; boys between 16 and 18, 3d. from employer and 2j<*. from employee ; girls between 16 and 18, 2}d. from employer and 2d. from employee. The State contributes, in addition, one-fourth of the aggregate amount of the contributions paid by employers and employees. The benefit consists of a weekly payment of 20j. for men, lt>«. for women, and half these amounts to contributors under IS, during a maximum period of 10 weeks in eight months, and after Ju!y 2, 1922, a maximum period of 20 weeks per year, subject to certain conditions. At the age of 60 insured contributors may, under certain conditions, obtain a refund of their own contributions, less any benefits paid, together with interest. Industries may, with the approval of the Minister of Labour, contract out of this scheme by setting up suitable schemes of their own.

The number of persons covered by the national or special scheme is estimated to be about 12,000,000 (SJ millions men and 3£ millions women). Total income, 191S-19, 4o' million £ (including 1-1 million £ from State funds), and expenditure 600,0001

Old Age Pensions.

Under the Old Age Pensions Acts, 190S to 1919, every person over 70 years of age who has been a British subject for at least 10 years up to the date of the receipt of pension ; who, if a natural -born British subject, for twelve out of the twenty years, and if not a natural-born British subject, for twenty years up to the date of receiving a pension has resided in the United Kingdom (residence abroad is allowed to count in certain circumstances) ; and whose yearly means do not exceed 49£. 17*. 6d., is entitled to a pension : provided he is not in re- ceipt of indoor poor relief (medical and surgical relief for three months does not disqualify), or is not a lunatic in an asylum. The minimum age for blind per- sons has been reduced to 50 years. An existing pensioner may in certain circum- stances be disqualified for receiving further pensions. For everv borough and urban district with a census population of at least 20,600, 1 and for every county (excluding borough and district areas) a local pension f 2 1 I uOO° <>tl * Ild tb * popnl * tion limit docs not a PP lv : in Ireland the limit is 10,000 instead