Reforms to address want
National Insurance Act 1946
The successes of this were:
- it provided financial protection in the event of unemployment and sickness - workers received 26 shillings a week or 42 shillings for married men
- the elderly received pensions
- financial assistance with funeral arrangements was provided
- it established standardised minimal living conditions for the employed
The limitations of this were:
- a large number of officials were needed to operate the scheme
- it did not provide for those members of society who were not in work and had not made contributions
Industrial Injuries Act 1946
The successes of this were:
- it provided financial relief for those who were temporarily absent from work, due to injury
- it also provided financial relief for those absent long-term
The limitations of this were:
- compensation was paid by the Government not employers - this meant that the Government footed the bill for injuries at work
National Assistance Act 1948
The successes of this were:
- it provided financial assistance for the unemployed or those who had not paid enough contributions into the National Insurance scheme
- it provided for the elderly who had not been paying into the National Insurance scheme during their lives
- it established standardised minimal living conditions for the unemployed
The limitations of this were:
- it was means-tested - the financial assistance received depended on the amount of money/valuables a family/individual possessed.
- many of the elderly were reluctant to apply for assistance, believing there was a stigma attached to it
