The National Assistance Board was established by the

National Assistance Act 1948 The National Assistance Act 1948 is an Act of Parliament passed in the United Kingdom by the Labour government of Clement Attlee. It formally abolished the Poor Law system that had existed since the reign of Elizabeth I, and established a social ...

and abolished in by the

Ministry of Social Security Act 1966 The Ministry of Social Security Act 1966 was a piece of legislation passed by the United Kingdom Parliament to establish the Supplementary Benefits Scheme whereby the National Assistance Board was transformed into the Supplementary Benefit Board. ...

. It was preceded by the

Unemployment Assistance Board The Unemployment Assistance Board was a body created in Britain by the Unemployment Act 1934 due to the high levels of inter-war poverty in Britain. The Board kept a system of means-tested benefit A means test is a determination of whether an in ...

(known from 1941 as the Assistance Board) and succeeded by the Supplementary Benefit Commission. There was a separate National Assistance Board of Northern Ireland. The National Assistance Act 1946 required local authorities, under the control of the board, to provide residential accommodation for older and disabled people ‘in need of care and attention which is not otherwise available to them’. They were also able to register and inspect homes run by charitable (non-profit) and private (for profit) organizations and to contribute to independent organisations providing ‘recreation or meals for old people’ or themselves provide these, or day centres, clubs etc.

Staff

Sir Harold Fieldhouse was Secretary of the Board from 1948 until 1959 when he was succeeded by Sir Donald Sargent. The Under-Secretary from 1946–1950 was Hubert Bentliff.

Public depiction

In 1970 the Brighton Combination, of which Jim Carter was a member presented ''The NAB Show'', a politically orientated account of the Board.Philip Roberts, ''The Royal Court Theatre, 1965–1972'' (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul plc, 1986), pp.128–129. Retrieved 6 November 2011 in books.google.com.

Chairs

George Buchanan George Buchanan ( gd, Seòras Bochanan; February 1506 – 28 September 1582) was a Scottish historian and humanist scholar. According to historian Keith Brown, Buchanan was "the most profound intellectual sixteenth century Scotland produced." ...

1948–1953 * Geoffrey Hutchinson MP 1954–1964

Other members

* William Asbury 1950–1961 *

Edwin Bayliss Edwin Bayliss OBE (1894 – 30 March 1971), was a British politician who was notably Chairman of the London County Council. Background Bayliss was born the son of Edwin Bayliss of Wolverhampton. He was educated at Nottingham College. In 1913, h ...

1961–1967 * H. M. Hallsworth 1948–1949 * Alice Johnston member of the

Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London The Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London, also known as the Herbert Commission, was established in 1957 and published its report in 1960. The report made recommendations for the overhaul of the administration of the capital. They ...

* William Leonard 1955–1960 *

Mary McAlister Mary Agnes McAlister CBE (née McMackin; 26 April 1896 – 26 February 1976) was an Irish-born Scottish nurse who also went into politics and was a member of parliament for the Labour Party. Family McMackin was born in Rathmullan,Register of ...

1961–1966 * George William Martin 1948–1956 *

Percy Morris Percy Morris (6 October 1893 – 7 March 1967) was a British railway clerk, trade unionist and politician who became Mayor of Swansea and represented the town in Parliament. He specialised in railway issues in Parliament, and after being d ...

1960–1966 * Harry Pigott 1957–1966

References

{{reflist Social security in the United Kingdom 1948 establishments in the United Kingdom