A ‘revolutionary moment’ for health and welfare in Britain?
PREM series: The Beveridge Report, November 1942. PREM 4/89/2
We hope you enjoyed watching our Education Service video on the Beveridge Report with Laura Robson-Mainwaring, Principal Specialist in modern domestic records, relating to health and welfare in the 20th century.
Now try and answer the following questions:
- What does the code PREM stand for?
- What kind of material is found in this collection?
- What is the Beveridge Report?
- Name the five giants that the report wanted to defeat to reconstruct Britain after the Second World War.
- How was the social programme designed to care for the population from the ‘cradle to the grave’?
- Explain how the Second World War had helped prepare the way for the development of the National Health service.
- Before the NHS, how did people get medical treatment?
- Explain three principles of National Health Service care.
- Why did the British Medical Association object to the introduction of the National Health Service?
- How were these objections resolved?
Additional documents and tasks
Document 1
Extract from The Beveridge Report, December 1942, Catalogue ref: PREM 4/89/2.
The Beveridge Report was presented to parliament in November 1942 during the Second World War by Sir William Beveridge. It outlined the key principles necessary to rid Britain of ‘poverty’ and ‘want’. It proposed a system of state social security so that the population would be protected ‘from the cradle to the grave’ after the war. The Labour Government came to power under Clement Attlee in July 1945 committed to enacting the Beveridge Report.
- Explain the meaning of the term ‘social insurance’. [See paragraph 10, line 5.]
- Why does William Beveridge in this report, describe the time as a ‘revolutionary moment… not a time for patching’? [See paragraph 7.]
- What are the 5 ‘giants’ the plan wanted to attack? Use your own knowledge and the video to explain how each ‘giant’ would be attacked.
- What was the idea behind providing a ‘national minimum’ for benefits provided by the state? [See paragraph 9.]
- Benefits were not ‘means tested.’ Explain this term.
Transcript
THREE GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF RECOMMENDATIONS
- In the proceeding from the first comprehensive survey of social insurance to the next task- of making recommendations-those guiding principles may be laid down at the outset.
- The first principle is that any proposals for the future, while they should use to the full the experience gathered in the past, should not be restricted by consideration of sectional interests established in the obtaining of that experience. Now, when the war is abolishing landmarks of every kind, is the opportunity for using experience in a clear field. A revolutionary moment in the world’s history is a time for revolutions, not for patching.
- The second principle is that the organisation of social insurance should be treated as one part only of a comprehensive policy of social progress. Social insurance fully developed may provide income security; it is an attack upon Want. But Want is one only of five giants on the road of reconstruction and in some ways the easiest to attack. The others are Disease, Ignorance, Squalor, and Idleness.
- The third principle is that social security much be achieved by co-operation between the State and the individual. The State should offer security for service and contribution. The State in organising security should not stifle incentive, opportunity, responsibility; in establishing a national minimum, it should leave room and encouragement for voluntary action by each individual to provide more than that minimum for himself and his family.
- The plan for Social Security set out in the Report is built upon these principles. It uses experience but is not tied by experience. It is put forward as a limited contribution to a wider social policy, though as something that could be achieved now without waiting for the whole of that policy. It is, first and foremost, a plan of insurance- of giving in return for contributions benefits up to subsistence level, as of right and without means test, so individuals may build freely upon it.
Document 2
Extract from a government report on the Beveridge plan on the cost and introduction of child allowances [child benefit]. Catalogue ref: PREM 4/89/2
The Family Allowances Act was passed in June 1945 (by the coalition government) giving each family 5 shillings a week for each child other than the first child, less than the propose 8 shillings as set out by Beveridge.
- Which of Beveridge’s ‘five giants’ was this benefit designed to attack?
- How were families with children supported?
Transcript
- The practical conclusions emerging from this discussion are:
(1) Financial provision should be made for children’s allowances at the cost of the Exchequer in respect of all children other than the first child when the parent is earning, and of the first child in addition during interruption of earning.
(2) The average amount of such allowances should be 8/- [eight shillings] a week in addition to the existing provision in kind. The actual allowance should be graduated according to the age of the child. In so far as provision in kind is extended beyond its present scale, the cash allowance should be reduced.
(3) The cash allowance should be administered by the Ministry of Social Security.
Document 3
National Health Service leaflet, May 1948, Catalogue ref: INF 2/66, page 15.
This comes from the government information department responsible for publicity and information.
The National Health Service was arguably the most significant proposal of the Beveridge Report. Before the NHS, health care had been based on charity or on insurance-based schemes as most people could not afford to pay for medical treatment. Free treatment was available for everyone at any NHS institution in the country and the NHS was to be paid for through taxation. The National Health Service Act was passed in November 1946 and the NHS was launched on 5 July 1948.
- Why do you think the government published this leaflet?
- Comment on the use of ‘your’ in the title.
- When did the National Health Service officially start?
- How was the National Health Service based on the principal of universality?
- What services were included in the new Health Service?
- How was the National Health Service paid for?
- How were pensions, sickness benefit and unemployment benefit to be paid for?
Transcript
YOUR NEW
NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE
On 5th July the new National Health Service starts
Anyone can use it- men, women and children. There are no age limits, no fees to pay. You can use any part of it, or all of it, as you wish. Your right to use the National Health Service does not depend upon any weekly payments (the National Insurance contributions are mainly for cash benefits such as pensions, unemployment and sick pay.)
[Diagram]
YOU AND YOUR FAMILY – arrow to: Your family doctor
Arrows to:
Hospital & Specialist Services
Dental Services
Maternity Service
Medicines, drugs and appliances
Eye service
[End diagram]
CHOOSE YOUR DOCTOR NOW
The first thing is to link up, with a doctor. When you have done this, your doctor can put you in touch with all other parts of the Scheme as you need them. Your relations with him will be as now, personal and confidential. The big difference is that the doctor will not charge you fees. He will be paid out of public funds to which all contribute as taxpayers.
So, choose your doctor now. If one doctor cannot accept you, ask another, or ask to put in touch with one by the new “Executive Council” which has been set up in your area (you can get its address from the Post Office).
If you are already on a doctor’s list under the old National Health Insurance Scheme, and do not want to change your doctor, you need do nothing. Your name will stay on his list under the new Scheme.
But make arrangements for your family now. Get an application form E.C.1 for each member of the family either from the doctor you choose, or from any Post Office, Executive Council Office, or Public Library; complete them and give them to the doctor.
There is a lot of work still to be done to get the Service ready. If you make your arrangements in good time, you will be helping both yourself and your doctor.
Issued by the Department of Health for Scotland
This advertisement appears in selected Sunday, Morning and Evening newspapers in Scotland.
Document 4
Leaflet entitled ‘How to claim sickness benefit’. Catalogue INF 2/66.
This comes from the government information department responsible for publicity and information.
- Why do you think this leaflet was produced?
- What was sickness benefit?
- How could it be claimed?
- Which of Beveridge’s ‘five giants’ was this benefit designed to attack?
Transcript
National Insurance
HOW TO CLAIM SICKNESS BENEFIT
Get a medical certificate from your doctor, fill in the particulars and send it to your Local National Insurance Office.
WITHIN 3 DAYS
OR send a note giving your full name, address and National Insurance number
WITHIN 3 DAYS
and follow it up with a medical certificate as soon as possible and
NOT LATER THAN 10 DAYS
From the day you fell ill
DELAY MAY LEAD TO LOSS OF BENEFIT
YOU CAN GET THE ADDRESS OF YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL INSURANCE OFFICE AT THE POST OFFICE NEAREST YOUR HOME
Document 5
Extract from a report on the public reaction to the Beveridge report, Catalogue ref PREM 4/98/2.
Over 600,000 copies of the Beveridge Report were sold by February 1944
- Why do you think that according to this survey, the Beveridge Report was very popular ‘amongst the poorer people’?
- What aspect of the plan was most criticised by the public?
- How do you explain ‘the overwhelming agreement that the Beveridge should be put into effect’?
Transcript
SUMMARY
NINETY-FIVE per cent of the public had heard of the Beveridge Report.
Great interest in the Report was discovered and, strikingly enough, this interest amongst the poorer people.
General approval was found for the main features of the schemes as set out in the Report. The extent of the approval varied from a bare majority saying that weekly benefits of 40s [shillings] per week for a married couple was about the right amount, to an overwhelming endorsement of the proposal to include everyone in a comprehensive scheme of medical services. The majority thought that the Government should take over the smaller life assurances.
The greatest volume of criticism was directed towards the proposal to start Old Age Pensions at 14 shillings per week. The majority of the public thought that the amount should be made at least 20 shillings a week immediately, or at least that the rate of increase to the maximum of 24 shillings should be speeded up.
There was overwhelming agreement that the Beveridge plan should be put into effect. There was, however, a much smaller proportion believing that in fact it would be put into effect.
Document 6
‘New York Times’ cartoon entitled: ‘I had such a lovely dream last night, I was having my hair permed free under the National Health’ May 1949, Catalogue ref: MH 55/907
- What is the message of this cartoon?
- Find out about health care in the USA at the time this cartoon was published.
External links
- UK Government blog:
- The National Archives blogs:
Curriculum links
Key stage 5
AQA GCE History: Wars and Welfare: Britain in Transition, 1906–1957.
Edexcel GCE History: Britain transformed, 1918–97.
OCR GCE History: British Period Study: Britain c.1918–1951.
Key stage 4
AQA GCE History: Britain: health and the people: c1000 to the present day.
Edexcel GCSE History: Medicine in Britain, c1250–present: the impact of the NHS.
OCR GCSE History: The People’s Health, c.1250 to present.
Key stage 3
National curriculum: the creation of the Welfare State.