National Assistance Act 1948
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act to terminate the existing poor law and to provide in lieu thereof for the assistance of persons in need by the National Assistance Board and by local authorities; to make further provision for the welfare of disabled, sick, aged and other persons and for regulating homes for disabled and aged persons and charities for disabled persons; to amend the law relating to non-contributory old age pensions; to make provision as to the burial or cremation of deceased persons; and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 11 & 12 Geo. 6.c. 29 |
| Territorial extent | England & Wales&Scotland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 13 May 1948 |
| Commencement | 5 July 1948 |
Status: Amended | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
TheNational Assistance Act 1948(11 & 12 Geo. 6.c. 29) is an Act of Parliament passed in the United Kingdom by the Labour government ofClement Attlee.It formally abolished thePoor Lawsystem that had existed since the reign ofElizabeth I,[1]and established asocial safety netfor those who did not paynational insurance contributions(such as the homeless, the physically disabled, and unmarried mothers) and were therefore left uncovered by theNational Insurance Act 1946and theNational Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act 1946.It also provided help to elderly Britons who required supplementary benefits to make a subsistence living,[2]and obliged local authorities to provide suitable accommodation for those who through infirmity, age, or any other reason were in need of care and attention not otherwise available.[3]The legislation also empowered local authorities to grant financial aid to organizations of volunteers concerned with the provision of recreational facilities or meals.[4]
TheNational Assistance Board,which administered theNational Assistancescheme, operated scale rates which were more generous than in the past. The rate for a married couple before the new service was launched, for instance, was 31 shillings (£1.55) a week, and 40 shillings (£2.00) a week when the new service was introduced, together with an allowance for rent. In addition, as noted byDenis Nowell Pritt,"In most cases where the applicant was a householder, the rent allowance was the actual rent paid."[5]
Under Section 29 of the Act, the power was granted to local authorities to promote the welfare of physically disabled individuals. The social needs of the mentally disabled were to be the responsibility of mental health departments which, being part of the newNational Health Service,were to provide its services to all those who needed it, regardless of ability to pay.[4]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]Notes
- ^Spicker, Paul,An Introduction to Social Policy,The Robert Gordon University, archived fromthe originalon 20 July 2007,retrieved6 March2012
- ^Taylor 1988
- ^Byrne & Padfield 1983
- ^abLabour and inequality: sixteen fabian essays edited by Peter Townsend and Nicholas Bosanquet
- ^Pritt 1963
Bibliography
- Byrne, Tony; Padfield, Colin F. (1983),Social Services,Made Simple Books, William Heinemann,ISBN978-0-434-98570-8
- Pritt, Denis Nowell (1963),The Labour Government 1945–51,Lawrence & Wishart
- Taylor, David (1988),Mastering Economic and Social History,Palgrave Macmillan,ISBN978-0-333-36804-6
External links
[edit]- National Assistance Act 1948as enacted
Poor laws of the British Isles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Poor laws by territory |  Nantwich workhouse | |
| Old Poor Law | ||
| Relief systems | ||
| New Poor Law | ||
| Changes after 1834 | ||
| Decline and abolition | ||
| Other | ||
