Records of the Supplementary Benefits Commission

Division within AST

1934-1986

Records of the Supplementary Benefits Commission administering the social security system.

They comprise minutes of meetings and memoranda, AST 23, registered files, AST 36, registered files of the Commission's Inspectorate, AST 37, appeals to the Social Security Commissioners, AST 38, and private office papers, AST 31.

See also the Department of Health and Social Security,

Public Record(s)

English

11 series

Topics

Welfare

Personal and family papers

The Supplementary Benefits Commission was set up under the Ministry of Social Security Act 1966 as the body to administer the new system of social security entitlements, in conjunction with the new Ministry of Social Security. Together with this Ministry it inherited the functions of the former Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance and the National Assistance Board.

The Commission was responsible for determining the rights of applicants to pensions and allowances and the amounts payable; for providing reception and re-establishment centres for people without a settled way of living and for people covered by the Polish Resettlement Act 1947; for assessing the means of people applying for legal aid; and for advising the government on social security benefits policy. Its powers and responsibilities were consolidated in the Supplementary Benefits Act 1976.

The staff of the Ministry of Social Security were made available to the Commission for the performance of its functions. This included casework undertaken at local offices. The Commission and the Ministry shared establishments and finance services.

Until 1968 the Commission was responsible to the Ministry for Social Security. When the Ministry of Social Security was incorporated into the new Department of Health and Social Security responsibility for the Commission passed to the Secretary of State for Social Security. In 1980 the Commission was abolished. Control of the administration of the supplementary benefits system was assumed by the Department. Its advisory role passed to the new Social Security Advisory Committee.