asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will state, in respect of the last year for which complete figures are available, the total cost of administering: (a) the Old Age Pensions Acts; (b) the Widows' and Orphans' Pensions Acts; (c) the Unemployment Insurance Acts; (d) the Unemployment Assistance Acts; and (e) the Children's Allowances Acts; and if he will indicate, in each case, the several items of expense making up the total.
Written Answers. - Administration Cost of Social Services.
It should be understood that in many cases staff and other services are common to more than one scheme and that accurate segregation of the cost of such staff or service as between the various schemes is not possible. That position applies particularly in the case of unemployment insurance and unemployment assistance, where by far the greater portion of the cost is in respect of salaries of officers of the employment branch who deal with both schemes, the portion of the time of officers devoted to each scheme varying from office to office and from day to day. In addition, these officers perform other duties, some related directly to, and some only remotely connected with, their work on the schemes in question, e.g. placing of unemployed persons in employment, administration of the intermittent unemployment ("wet-time") and the harvest labour schemes and emigration control, and no deduction has been made in the table following in respect of the cost of performing the duties in question, nor has it been found possible, for the reasons indicated, to segregate the cost between the two major schemes.
Subject to the foregoing, the following is the information requested, in respect of the year 1945-46, the latest year for which audited figures are available:—
COST OF ADMINISTRATION OF THE UNDERNOTED SERVICES FOR YEAR 1945-46
|
Old Age Pensions (including Blind Pensions. |
Widows' and Orphans' Pensions*. |
Unemployment Insurance and Unemployment Assistance. |
Children's Allowances. |
|
|
£ |
£ |
£ |
£ |
|
|
Salaries |
77,500 |
56,496 |
382,200 |
53,400 |
|
Superannuation |
10,600 |
6,445 |
18,100 |
7,700 |
|
Travelling Expenses |
8,500 |
2,969 |
5,900 |
700 |
|
Office Accommodation |
2,600 |
2,013 |
14,900 |
4,500 |
|
Stationery and Printing |
2,500 |
1,706 |
5,600 |
3,700 |
|
Postal Expenses (including payment of orders) |
47,900 |
24,764 |
62,100 |
16,500 |
|
Incidental Expenses |
400 |
153 |
1,400 |
700 |
|
TOTAL |
150,000 |
94,546 |
490,200 |
87,300 |
* The figures shown are the actual amounts, as ascertained, to be recouped from the Widows' and Orphans' Pensions Fund in respect of the year 1945/46. The actual amount so paid in the year was £92,714.