National Insurance Act 1946

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National Insurance Act 1946
Act of Parliament
Introduced byLabour Party (UK) (Commons)
Dates
Royal assent1 August 1946
Status: Repealed
Records of Parliamentary debate relating to the statute from Hansard
A British 1948 National Insurance stamp, once used to collect contributions to the scheme.

The National Insurance Act 1946 (c 67) was a British Act of Parliament passed during the Attlee ministry which established a comprehensive system of social security throughout the United Kingdom.

The act meant that all who were of working age were to pay a weekly contribution. If they had been paying National Insurance, mothers were to be entitled to an allowance (of 18 weeks)[1] for each child as well as a lump sum when the child was born. The act however excluded married women. The weekly contributions meant that benefits including sickness benefit and unemployment benefits were able to be offered. Pensions were to offered to men and women at ages 60 and 65 respectively.[2]

Background[]

Attlee had campaigned hard in his campaign leading up to the 1945 election for the creation of the welfare state. When elected, he and his administration and adopted Beveridge proposal from 1944 to keep to his manifesto promise.[1]

Significance[]

According to the historian Kenneth O. Morgan, the Act constituted "a measure which provided a comprehensive universal basis for insurance provision that had hitherto been unknown".[3]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Archives, The National. "1940's Origins of the Welfare State". www.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
  2. ^ "The National Insurance Act 1946". Policy Navigator. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
  3. ^ Taylor, David, Mastering Economic and Social History

External links[]

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