Memorandum on social insurance and allied services in their bearing on neurotic disorder
1943 1943 1940s 19 pages 17 (4) Safeguards against malingering must not be allowed to impair the efficient working of the scheme. Persistent claimants for benefit whose social and psychiatric handicaps have hitherto prevented their employment, i.e. "the hard core of unemployment,"...
| Institution: | MCR - The Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick |
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| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
[1943?]
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10796/07B3383E-F887-4032-BB7B-FF407714FCDD http://hdl.handle.net/10796/9BE6E187-E2A4-44B3-9957-6630E587A55F |
| Summary: | 1943
1943
1940s
19 pages
17 (4) Safeguards against malingering must not be allowed to impair the efficient working of the scheme. Persistent claimants for benefit whose social and psychiatric handicaps have hitherto prevented their employment, i.e. "the hard core of unemployment," should be reviewed individually. (5) The aims of the scheme should be positive and more precisely defined, e.g. "The restoration and maintenance of those disabled, handicapped or without means of livelihood" — pt. 1. Income Insurance. The guiding principles should recognize that work and individuality, incentives to work and health are of paramount importance, and that general principles supersede the claims of actuarial or organization details. Less important social objectives, though desirable in themselves, should not be allowed to interfere with the prevention of want. (6) A flat benefit rate is a sound principle, but also requires, if it is to further mental health, a minimum wage standard, provision to cover rent adequately, and no exception such as that suggested for injured workers (i.e. those not permanently disabled), and for the aged during the transitional period of 20 years. (7) Earnings extra to the benefits should be permitted, with medical approval and supervision, for any only partially disabled, in order to encourage the most effective rehabilitation — suitable adjusted work. For the same reason payments above the standard benefit should be given to those at training centres, and part of this cost may be recovered by the useful work done there. (8) War service disabilities should be dealt with as a special variety of industrial injury. (9) Old age should be dealt with as a disability (either partial or complete according to the age reached, unless there is overriding medical evidence), and payments, unless based on complete disability, should be uninfluenced by continuance at work. (10) Contributory payments should only be supervised by procedures involving collection at source ; in Class II, where this would be difficult, weekly collectors should be eschewed and some method of source supervision devised, such as a licensing system. (11) Care of injured workers under the proposed scheme should lessen the tendency to neurosis. Abolition of lump sum payments and concentration on the provision of adequate medical care and social rehabilitation are desirable for the same reason. Much that is at present dealt with by ligitation should be referred to medical tribunals. (12) The details of administration, whatever scheme is adopted, should be so devised that their psychological effects on the individual will be favourable. (13) There should be a Committee which advises on policy regarding these people and supervises the effective working of the policy enforced. It will concern itself with all persons receiving benefit longer than a stated period. Psychiatry should be represented on this advisory committee. (14) Any individual who has been receiving benefit longer than the stated period should have his case referred to an officer, with specialized social training, who will have medical advice at his or her disposal ; and whose business it will be to decide whether the worker should be examined by a psychiatrist. 2
292/847/2/174 |
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| Physical Description: | TEXT |