Ministry of National Insurance and successors: Family Allowance Policy (London Office),...

PIN 17

1942-1980

This series contains the files of the Ministry of National Insurance and it's successors relating to the planning, introduction and administration of the Family Allowance Scheme under the Family Allowances Act 1945 and subsequent legislation.

FA file series

Public Record(s)

English

• Department of Health and Social Security, 1968-1988
• Ministry of National Insurance, 1944-1953
• Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance, 1953-1966
• Ministry of Social Security, 1966-1968

187 file(s)

Open unless otherwise stated

from 2007 Department for Work and Pensions

from 1973 Department of Health and Social Security

Series is not accruing.

Sir William Beveridge in his report of 1942 on the proposed plan for the future social security of the country strongly recommended the introduction of a scheme for the payment of children's allowances.

Family allowances were first introduced on 6 August 1946. They were cash payments made to all families with more than one natural or adopted child within the prescribed age limits and were intended for the benefit of the family as a whole.

No allowance was payable for the first or only child as it was considered reasonable to assume that one child could be supported by family earnings without causing hardship. There were no contribution conditions and the cost of the scheme was met entirely from taxation. Allowances were paid without regard to means but were treated as part of income for tax purposes. Allowances were not restricted to British families but claimants had to satisfy conditions of residence in the United Kingdom.