The Department of Social Services was an

Australian government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government i ...

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

that existed between April 1939 and December 1972. The Department was established by the

Menzies Government Menzies is a Scottish surname, with Gaelic forms being Méinnearach and Méinn, and other variant forms being Menigees, Mennes, Mengzes, Menzeys, Mengies, and Minges. Derivation and history The name and its Gaelic form are probably derived f ...

in 1939, but did not become fully operative until 1941.

Scope

Information about the department's functions and/or government funding allocation could be found in the Administrative Arrangements Orders, the annual Portfolio Budget Statements and in the Department's annual reports. According to the Administrative Arrangements Order of 12 March 1947, the department was responsible for: *allowances for wives and children of invalid pensioners *child endowment *compassionate allowances to persons ineligible for invalid, old-age and widows' pensions and maternity allowances *compensation or pensions to, or in respect of, ex-members of the

Civil Constructional Corps The Civil Constructional Corps (CCC) was a civilian based labour force created in Australia during World War II, designed to organise military construction works. Over 53,500 members were gathered through a combination of conscription (manpowered) ...

, ex-civil defence workers, and civilians who suffered war injury *reception and aftercare of evacuees and ex-internees *funeral benefit for invalid and old-age pensioners *maternity allowances *old-age pensions *payment of - **

Commonwealth Literary Fund The Commonwealth Literary Fund (CLF) was an Australian Government initiative founded in 1908 to assist needy Australian writers and their families. It was Federal Australia's first systematic support for the arts. Its scope was later broadened to e ...

allowances **Financial assistance to university students **Imperial pensions (other than war pensions) **Judiciary pensions **Pensions and retiring allowances under Section 84 of the Commonwealth Constitution **Special annuities granted by the Commonwealth **Superannuation to retired Commonwealth employees **Reciprocity with New Zealand in relation to invalid and old-age benefits *Rehabilitation of ex-members of the Forces *Rehabilitation of invalid pensioners *Sickness benefits *Social service proposals and activities generally *Unemployment benefits *Vocational training of invalid pensioners and unemployment and sickness beneficiaries *Widow's pensions

Structure

The Department was an

Australian Public Service The Australian Public Service (APS) is the federal civil service of the Commonwealth of Australia responsible for the public administration, public policy, and public services of the departments and executive and statutory agencies of the G ...

department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for Social Services.

References

Social Services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administe ...

Ministries established in 1939 {{Australia-gov-stub