Local Appeal Tribunal case file for Arthur Battersby, aged 67, Safety-First' Warden...

Date of birth:
Marital status: Married
Address: 69 North Road, Clowne
Type of benefit claimed: Special Hardship Allowance
Type of injury: Injury - back
Further information: Battersby's initial claim for a Special Hardship Allowance was rejected on 16 July 1953 on grounds that he was not 'incapable of following his regular occupation as the result of the loss of faculty for which disablement benefit is payable'. The Medical Board that examined Battersby on 13 July 1953 noted the injury to his back and the difficulty he had in bending and lifting, stating that there was likely to be a permanent loss of faculty and assessing the extent of disablement at 5 per cent from 14 August 1953 for life. This was a final assessment. Battersby's injury claims date back to August 1950, when he first injured his back while lifting a derailed tub. The Medical Board's complete findings may have only partially survived, however, because a summary of events given during Battersby's appeal against the decision of the Insurance Officer to reject the claim for Special Hardship Allowance notes that an allowance of 20s 0d per week was awarded from 23 May 1951 to 8 August 1953. When Battersby was re-examined by the Medical Board on 13 July 1953 it 'expressed the opinion that his [Battersby's] incapacity for his regular occupation was not due to the condition resulting from the accident' on 13 July 1953. Following the rejection of his case by the tribunal, Battersby sought advice from the NUM as to whether he should appeal to the Commissioner; he was advised by the NUM Compensation Agent that he would not 'stand a ghost of a chance'. A handwritten note suggests Battersby accepted the 5 per cent disablement assessment, and also chose to draw his old age pension.