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Family support

In August 1946 the first recipients of family allowances meet the Minister of National Insurance at Stepney in London.

In August 1946 the first recipients of family allowances meet the Minister of National Insurance at Stepney in London.
©Topfoto

During the Second World War, the government became concerned with finding a way to support families without causing inflationary increases in wages. Although wage earners with children already received a child tax allowance, this did not help poorer families.

Related documents

The Beveridge Report

Cabinet Conclusion 3. Family Allowances. 9 February 1945 (PDF, 0.992MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Family Allowances. Memorandum by the First Lord of the Admiralty, the Secretary of State for War and the Secretary of State for Air. 7 February 1945 (PDF, 0.588MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Family Allowances. Memorandum by the Minister of National Insurance. 10 February 1945 (PDF, 1.174MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 7. Family Allowances. 6 March 1945 (PDF, 2.451MB)

Conservatives extend family allowance

Cabinet Memorandum. National Insurance. Memorandum by the Minister of Insurance. 31 March 1952 (PDF, 0.551MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 11. Food Prices. 4 September 1952 (PDF, 1.508MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 5. Family Allowances. 10 April 1956 (PDF, 1.762MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Family Allowances and the Bread Subsidy. Memorandum by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 9 April 1956 (PDF, 0.196MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Government Expenditure: Economies. Note by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 22 October 1956 (PDF, 0.605MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Social Services: Possible Economies. Memorandum by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 30 January 1957 (PDF, 1.030MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Family Allowances. Memorandum by the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance. 30 January 1957 (PDF, 0.583MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Family Allowances for Apprentices. Memorandum by the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance. 23 October 1961 (PDF, 0.331MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Family Allowances for Apprentices. Memorandum by the Minister of Labour. 25 October 1961 (PDF, 0.175MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Nutritional Services. Memorandum by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General. 21 December 1961 (PDF, 0.722MB)

Child Benefit Act

Cabinet Memorandum. Family Endowment Note by the Secretary of the Cabinet. 16 December 1966 (PDF, 4.885MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 2. Social Services. 19 July 1967 (PDF, 2.154MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Family Endowment. Memorandum by the Minister of Social Security. 11 July 1967 (PDF, 0.699MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Family Endowment. Note by the Minister without Portfolio. 17 July 1967 (PDF, 0.696MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 2. Prices and Incomes: Social Services. 5 March 1968 (PDF, 1.854MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Assistance for the Families of Low Wage Earners. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Social Services. 28 September 1970 (PDF, 0.812MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Measures to Help the Poorer Families. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Social Services. 2 October 1970 (PDF, 3.015MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Public Expenditure Measures: Impact on Families. Memorandum by the Chief Secretary, Treasury. 9 October 1970 (PDF, 0.818MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 3. Public Expenditure The Impact of the Public Expenditure Measures on Families and the Timing of Measures to Help the Poorer Families. 14 October 1970 (PDF, 2.495MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Special Family Allowance. Memorandum by the Paymaster General. 3 January 1975 (PDF, 4.490MB)

Search using Family Allowances Bill Family Income Supplement Child Benefit

Further reading

Land, A., Lowe, R. & Whiteside, N. , The Development of the Welfare State 1939-1951 A Guide to Documents in the Public Record Office (London: HMSO, 1992)
Bridgen, P. & Lowe, R., Welfare Policy under the Conservatives 1951-1964 A Guide to Documents in the Public Record Office (London: PRO Publications, 1998)
Glennerster, H., British Social Policy 1945 to the Present (Oxford: Blackwell, 2007)
Timmins, N., The Five Giants A Biography of the Welfare State (London: Harper Collins Publisher, 2001)

Content

Family support
The Beveridge Report and child benefit

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