Successful single claimants over the age of seventy were paid five shillings a week, while couples in which the husband was aged over seventy got seven shillings and sixpence per week.[1]
The Act provided for a non-contributory old age pension for people over the age of seventy, with the cost being borne by taxpayers generally. It was enacted in 1908 and was to pay a weekly pension of 5s a week (7s 6d for married couples) with effect from 1 January 1909. The level of benefit was deliberately set low – the approximate equivalent of £23 in 21st century terms[2] – to encourage workers to go on making their own provision for retirement.
In order to be eligible, claimants had to be over the age of 70, and had to have been a British subject for 20 years and have resided in Great Britain and Ireland for at least twenty years to be eligible. It was open to both men and women, both married and single, and their "yearly means" could not exceed £31 10s.[3] Only those with a 'good character' could receive the pensions.[3] Others excluded from receiving the new pension were those in receipt of poor relief, those being held in what were then called 'lunatic asylums', those who had served a prison sentence and been released less than ten years before, those convicted of drunkenness (at the discretion of the court), and any person who was guilty of ‘habitual failure to work’, according to ability.[4]
Implementationedit
The pension was due to be paid from 1 January 1909, and those eligible had to apply to a local pension committee starting in October 1908 set up by the county councils.[3] Forms for applicants were available from the end of September 1908 and had to be returned to the postmaster of the post office that would pay the individual's benefit.[3] The claims were assessed by the pension officers and then sent to the local pension committee for approval.[3]
On 31 December 1908 a total of 596,038 pensions had been granted:[5]
Initially, most of the recipients of the pension benefit were women. In order to remove any stigma in receiving the benefit, the scheme was administered by the Post Office rather than the existing social welfare agencies such as the parish or Poor Law.
As Winston Churchill, (with David Lloyd George a major social reformer of the era), said of the pension level, "It is not much unless you have not got it".[2]
Flora Thompson, who helped administer the first Post Office payouts, has movingly recorded the relief and gratitude of the first recipients: "'God bless that Lord George and God bless you, miss!' and there were flowers from their gardens and apples from their trees for the girl who merely handed them the money".[6]
^ "Old-Age Pensions. Official Statistics". The Times. No. 38862. 21 January 1909. p. 10.
^Thompson, Flora (1979). Lark Rise to Candleford. Oxford University Press. p. 86.
External linksedit
Text of the Old-Age Pensions Act 1908 and Regulations
December 07, 2023
pensions, 1908, parliament, united, kingdom, great, britain, ireland, passed, 1908, often, regarded, foundations, modern, social, welfare, both, present, united, kingdom, irish, republic, forms, part, wider, social, welfare, reforms, liberal, government, 1906,. The Old Age Pensions Act 1908 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland passed in 1908 The Act is often regarded as one of the foundations of modern social welfare in both the present day United Kingdom and the Irish Republic and forms part of the wider social welfare reforms of the Liberal Government of 1906 1914 Old Age Pensions Act 1908Act of ParliamentParliament of the United KingdomLong titleAn Act to provide for Old Age Pensions Citation8 Edw 7 c 40Territorial extent England and Wales Scotland IrelandDatesRoyal assent1 August 1908Commencement1 January 1909Other legislationAmended byOld Age Pensions Act 1924Status RepealedOld Age Pensions Act 1924Act of ParliamentParliament of the United KingdomLong titleAn Act to amend paragraph 3 of section two of the Old Age Pensions Act 1908 Citation14 amp 15 Geo 5 c 33DatesRoyal assent7 August 1924Other legislationAmendsOld Age Pensions Act 1908Successful single claimants over the age of seventy were paid five shillings a week while couples in which the husband was aged over seventy got seven shillings and sixpence per week 1 Contents 1 Outline 2 Implementation 3 Effects 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksOutline editThe Act provided for a non contributory old age pension for people over the age of seventy with the cost being borne by taxpayers generally It was enacted in 1908 and was to pay a weekly pension of 5s a week 7s 6d for married couples with effect from 1 January 1909 The level of benefit was deliberately set low the approximate equivalent of 23 in 21st century terms 2 to encourage workers to go on making their own provision for retirement In order to be eligible claimants had to be over the age of 70 and had to have been a British subject for 20 years and have resided in Great Britain and Ireland for at least twenty years to be eligible It was open to both men and women both married and single and their yearly means could not exceed 31 10s 3 Only those with a good character could receive the pensions 3 Others excluded from receiving the new pension were those in receipt of poor relief those being held in what were then called lunatic asylums those who had served a prison sentence and been released less than ten years before those convicted of drunkenness at the discretion of the court and any person who was guilty of habitual failure to work according to ability 4 Implementation editThe pension was due to be paid from 1 January 1909 and those eligible had to apply to a local pension committee starting in October 1908 set up by the county councils 3 Forms for applicants were available from the end of September 1908 and had to be returned to the postmaster of the post office that would pay the individual s benefit 3 The claims were assessed by the pension officers and then sent to the local pension committee for approval 3 On 31 December 1908 a total of 596 038 pensions had been granted 5 Rate England excluding Monmouthshire Wales including Monmouthshire Scotland Ireland5s 297 332 19 691 60 787 161 5784s 15 178 864 1 443 3 1013s 14 830 805 1 488 3 1312s 7 185 362 656 1 6281s 4 423 234 395 927Totals 338 948 21 956 64 769 170 365Effects editInitially most of the recipients of the pension benefit were women In order to remove any stigma in receiving the benefit the scheme was administered by the Post Office rather than the existing social welfare agencies such as the parish or Poor Law As Winston Churchill with David Lloyd George a major social reformer of the era said of the pension level It is not much unless you have not got it 2 Flora Thompson who helped administer the first Post Office payouts has movingly recorded the relief and gratitude of the first recipients God bless that Lord George and God bless you miss and there were flowers from their gardens and apples from their trees for the girl who merely handed them the money 6 See also editNational Insurance Act 1911 Pension provision in the United Kingdom Timeline of pensions in the United KingdomState pensions actsWidows Orphans and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act 1925 National Insurance Act 1946 National Insurance Act 1965 Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992Private pensions actsSuperannuation and other Funds Validation Act 1992 Pension Schemes Act 1993 Pensions Act 1995 Pensions Act 2004 Pensions Act 2007 Pensions Act 2008References edit Gazeley Ian 17 July 2003 Poverty in Britain 1900 1945 Palgrave Macmillan ISBN 978 0333716199 a b Roberts Andrew 2018 Churchill Walking with Destiny Allen Lane p 129 ISBN 9780241205631 a b c d e The Old Age Pensions Act The Regulations The Times No 38732 22 August 1908 p 10 Macnicol John 13 August 1998 The Politics of Retirement in Britain 1908 1948 Cambridge Cambridge University Press pp 157 8 ISBN 978 0521622738 Old Age Pensions Official Statistics The Times No 38862 21 January 1909 p 10 Thompson Flora 1979 Lark Rise to Candleford Oxford University Press p 86 External links editText of the Old Age Pensions Act 1908 and Regulations Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Old Age Pensions Act 1908 amp oldid 1163231014, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
