Evening star., 1944-09-26
Broad Social Security
Program Offered for
Commons Study
BY the Associated Press,

LONDON, Sept. 26.-The Brit
1sh government presented to the
House Of Commons today broad
social security plan designed to
eliminate extreme poverty and
greatly improve the welfare of most
Of Britain's 100000 persons.
The program forms an answer
at least in part, to the widely dis
cussed Beveridge plan of year ago
Prolonged debate appears likely.
The government plan provides for
unemployment and sickness insur-
ance, health service, widows pen
sions, retirement pensions, family
allowances. orphan allowance, moth
erhood and death grants.
Compulsory weekly contributions
from all persons able to pay would
finance the program. expected to
cost $2,600, 100000 in the first year
compared with the Beveridge plans
s2,788,000000. rise to $2,824OO0, ,0OO
in 10 years and ultimately to
1924 $4,000 in 1878. The plan
would go into effect in 1945.
The plan, in the form of a
white paper, asserts at the outset
that the first duty is to protect
the country from external aggres-
sion and says the next aim of the
national policy must be to secure
prosperity and happiness for its
citizens"
1t is generally expected proponents
Of the plan will claim it is the
greatest social security charter ever
introduced by any government in
any country and argue that it is
etter than the Beveridge plan.
This probably will be answered by
Sr William Beveridge himself, if he
IS successful in his forthcoming con-
test for a seat in the House.
"a Details of Plan.
-Here are details on some of the
things the new plan would provide:
- Motherhood grants of 4 pounds
tsbout sl6) plus benefits up to SO
6illings CS727 weekly.
-. Unemployment and sickness nav
OF 40 shillings Cabout So weekly for
q. married couple or "a shillines
te480) for single person.
Family allowances of S shillinps
'$D and things in kind" such as
school meals and milk weekly for
each child after the first.
widows pensions reaching 36
shllllngs tS7.27 for the first l3
weeks.
Orphans allowances of u shillings
($2 40l weekly.
Health services for all and spe-
c1al provision for the blind.
Subsistence money for persons
taking approved training"
Sickness Rates Set.
The plan proposes the following
standard weekly rates for sickness
and unemployment benefits:
For married couple, 40 shillings
tsSl.
For single man or woman, "a
shlllings ts480'.
For boys and girls of Is and II
years of age, Is shillings (s3,.
Sickness benefits would continue
for three years and then be replaced
by lnvaliditv benefit of IS shillings
's7 for a married couple and 20
shlllines 's4' for a single person.
Unemployment benefits would be
paid for limit of 30 weeks con-
tlnuously, plus additional days with
good record of previous employ
ment
The basis for most argument in
the House of Commons and the
press is expected to hinge on COM
parsons between this and the Bev-
eridge plan.
For example. the Beveridge plan
calls for a family allowance of 8
shillines tsl60l instead Of shillings
SD for each child after the first
He called for weekly contributions
from the main class of workers of
shllllngs 3 pence tabout Sc cents.
The government proposes 3 shillings
10 pence about 76 cents.
-Ihe main drafters of the govern
ment plan were Lord Woolton
Minister of Reconstruction; Ernest
Bevin. Labor Minister; Henry u.
Wlllink, Minister of Health, and
ST William Jowitt. Another is
lHtle-knoWn professional civil serv-
aAt-Slr Thomas Herbert Sheep
shanks, who was assigned to the
Job as specialist in Lord Woolton's
ministry