Social Security Scheme (letter)

1942 1942 1940s 2 pages Sir W. BEVERIDGE. Dear Sir, Social Security Scheme. I have tried to appease my wrath every day since the publication of the above scheme, by counting ten over and over again, but I have not succeeded. After the adulation you are receiving this criticism may seem frivolous,...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Beveridge, William Henry Beveridge, Baron, 1879-1963 (contributor)
Institution:MCR - The Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
Language:English
English
Published: [1942?]
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10796/057B3DB6-B101-47A5-A60A-478C2F1123B3
http://hdl.handle.net/10796/9799A187-48CB-4A7B-8EE5-DD2217FE6143
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author Beveridge, William Henry Beveridge, Baron, 1879-1963
author_facet Beveridge, William Henry Beveridge, Baron, 1879-1963
author_role contributor
description 1942 1942 1940s 2 pages Sir W. BEVERIDGE. Dear Sir, Social Security Scheme. I have tried to appease my wrath every day since the publication of the above scheme, by counting ten over and over again, but I have not succeeded. After the adulation you are receiving this criticism may seem frivolous, but at least it is my sad reflection on your scheme, from which I expected so much. You are certainly to be sympathised with if your remit circumscribed you to be dominated by the three apparently immutable economic laws. First. "Declaration that want could have been abolished before the war by a distribution of income within the wage-earning classes, without touching any of the wealthier classes. Sir William says that the plan for social security would establish a national minimum above which prosperity can grow." Question. How can prosperity grow under an unequal class distribution of the national dividend? Second. ''By a double (?) redistribution of income through social insurance and childrens allowances, want, as defined in the social surveys, could have been abolished in Britain before the present war. The income available to the British people was ample for such a purpose.'' Question. Is this the iron law of the Wages Fund? (The return to labour is static, but the return to Rent, Interest and Profit is not.) Third, "Press Conference. Asked by a journalist whether the proposed 3/3d contribution from Employers was not unduly high." The first part of Sir William's answer is purile sentiment. The real answer is in the second part, "On the whole he thought that 3/3d was a very small part of the total cost of production. He had no doubt that some employers would put up an argument that somebody else should pay, but that somebody else would be the taxpayer." As/ 292/150.5/5/236
geographic UK
id HEA-1961_a7815ae78a584eed9b41175e1dadc15e
institution MCR - The Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
is_hierarchy_title Social Security Scheme (letter)
language English
English
physical TEXT
publishDate [1942?]
spellingShingle Beveridge, William Henry Beveridge, Baron, 1879-1963
Trades Union Congress
Beveridge Report, 1942-1944
Health care
Beveridge Plan ; Social security--Great Britain
Social Security Scheme (letter)
title Social Security Scheme (letter)
topic Trades Union Congress
Beveridge Report, 1942-1944
Health care
Beveridge Plan ; Social security--Great Britain
url http://hdl.handle.net/10796/057B3DB6-B101-47A5-A60A-478C2F1123B3
http://hdl.handle.net/10796/9799A187-48CB-4A7B-8EE5-DD2217FE6143