DOCSLIB.ORG

Social Assistance in OECD Countries: Synthesis Report

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Social Assistance in OECD Countries: Synthesis Report This is a repository copy of Social Assistance in OECD Countries: Synthesis Report. White Rose Research Online URL for this paper: https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/73427/ Monograph: Eardley, T, Bradshaw, J orcid.org/0000-0001-9395-6754, Ditch, J et al. (1 more author) (1996) Social Assistance in OECD Countries: Synthesis Report. Research Report. Department of Social Security Research Report, No.46 . HMSO , London. Reuse Items deposited in White Rose Research Online are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved unless indicated otherwise. They may be downloaded and/or printed for private study, or other acts as permitted by national copyright laws. The publisher or other rights holders may allow further reproduction and re-use of the full text version. This is indicated by the licence information on the White Rose Research Online record for the item. Takedown If you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing [email protected] including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. [email protected] https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ Department of Social Security Research Report No. 46 Social Assistance in OECD Countries Volume!: Synthesis Report A study carried out on behalf of the Department of Social Security and the OECD by the Social Policy Research Unit Tony Eardley Jonathan Bradshaw John Ditch Ian Gough Peter Whiteford London: HMSO Crown copyright 1996 Applications for reproduction should be made to HMSO Copyright Unit First published 1996 ISBN 0 11 762407 1 ISSN 0961 569 5 Views expressed in this report are not necessarily those of the DSS or any other government department, the OECD or any member countries of the OECD. .A full list of other publications in this series is shown on page 195 HMSO Standing order service Placin g a standing order with HMSO BOOKS enables a customer to receive future titles in this series automatically as published. This saves the time, trouble and expense of placing individual orders and avoids the problem of knowing when to do so, For details please write to HMSO BOOKS (Standing Order Section), Publications Centre. APO Box 276. London SW8 5DT quotin g reference 24 02 058. The standing order service also enables customers to receive automatically as published all material of their choice which additionally saves extensive catalogue research. The scope and selectivity of the service has been extended by new techniques. and there are more than 3,500 classifications to choose from. A special leaflet describing the service in detail may be obtained on request. be 5673. 1142 - Contents Page Preface v Acknowledgements vi List of Tables and Figures x Executive Summary Chapter I Introduction 115 .1 Objectives 15 1.2 Research methods 17 Purchasing power parities 17 Approaches to comparative research 18 L3 Why study social assistance? 20 1.4 The structure of the report Chapter 2 Social Assistance across the OECD: Patterns and Trends 26 2.1 A taxonomy of social assistance 26 2.2 Expenditure on social assistance 32 2.3 Recipients of social assistance 38 Types of assistance benef cicary 41 Changes in assistance populations over time 45 2.4 Conclusion 46 Chapter 3 The Structure and Principles of Social Assistance Schemes 47 3.1 Introduction 47 3.2 Aims and principles 47 3.3 Conditions of eligibility 49 3.4 Inclusion and exclusion 59 Minimum age thresholds 59 Residence and nationality conditions 60 3.5 Conditions of entitlement 61 Benefit tend resource units 65 The treatment of resources 66 3.6 Housing costs 67 3.7 Meeting urgent or exceptional needs 71 3.8 Conclusion 78 Chapter 4 Administration and Delivery of Social Assistance Benefits 80 4.1 Introduction 80 4.2 Centre-local responsibilities 80 4.3 Making a claim and receiving a payment 82 4.4 Procedures for verification of identity 88 4.5 Computerisation of benefit delivery 88 4.6 Fraud prevention and control 88 iii Page 4.7 Recovery of overpayments 92 4.8 Provision for payment of benefit to third parties 92 4.9 The role of social workers 93 4.10 The role of non-governmental organisations 93 4.11 Quality and scrutiny of administration 94 4.12 Conclusion 95 Chapter 5 Benefit Rates, Adequacy- and Take-Up: National Debates 96 5.1 Introduction 96 5.2 The construction of social assistance scales 96 5.3 Debates about poverty and the level of benefits 101 The role of non-governmental organisations and poverty lobbies' 103 Debates about adequacy of assistance payments 104 5.4 Take-up of means-tested benefits 106 5.5 Conclusion 108 Chapter 6 The Level and Structure of Social Assistance Payments 109 6.1 Introduction 109 6.2 Methods 109 Housing costs 112 Local taxes 115 Health costs 115 School and child-care costs 116 6.3 Limitations of the model family approach 116 Purchasing power parities 117 6.4 The results of the income matrix analysis 117 The structure of social assistance 117 Social assistance levels 124 The implied equivalence scale in social assistance 127 6.5 Conclusion 137 Chapter 7 Social Assistance, Work and Incentives 140 7.1 Introduction 140 7.2 Background data 141 7.3 Duration of assistance 143 7.4 Job search requirements 147 7.5 Income tests and related arrangements 153 7.6 Benefit replacement rates 157 7.7 Average effective tax rates and the poverty trap 161 7.8 Conclusion 163 Chapter 8 Diverse Systems, Common Destination? 165 8.1 Introduction 165 8.2 Patterns of social assistance 165 8.3 Debates and policy initiatives 171 8.4 Common pressures and national responses 172 New demands from external forces 172 Pressures from within the policy systems 173 Unemployment and work incentives 174 8.5 Evaluating national assistance regimes 176 8.6 Conclusion 178 References 180 Appendix Model Families Income Matrix 188 iv Preface This study was initially commissioned in October 1993 by the UK Department of Social Security, to inform its understanding of social assistance schemes in the member states of the European Union and a number of other relevant countries. The original proposal was to include in the study the then 12 countries of the European Union, plus Norway and Sweden as likely future members. together with the English-speaking group of developed countries consisting of the USA. Canada. Australia and New Zealand. In the course of initial information gathering, contact was made with the Social Policy Division of the Organisation for Economic Co- operation and Development (OECD). They expressed interest in the research being extended to the six member countries not already covered by the study and after consultations between the two sponsoring bodies, and with the six member governments, a further contract was agreed. Shortly after the research was commissioned it was discovered that Professor Ian Gough of the University of Manchester had received a social science fellowship from the Nuffield Foundation to pursue a similar study, on a smaller scale but including some of the non-EU countries. Once the OECD participation was confirmed it was agreed that it would be mutually beneficial for the two projects to co-operate. The results of the research are presented in two volumes. The second volume presents separate country-by-country descriptions of assistance schemes and their place within social security more widely, with trend data on claimant numbers and expenditure and brief discussions of policy issues current in each country. This volume provides a synthesis of comparative and analytical material organised by themes. Any views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of participating governments, nor those of either the UK Department of Social Security or the OECD. University of York August 1995 v Acknowledgements We are grateful to the Department of Social Security and the OECD for funding this research, and to the Nuffield Foundation. who supported Ian Gough`s participation in the study. This study is the result of collaborative effort going well beyond the research team itself_ It is primarily based on information provided by two networks of national informants working in their own countries. The government officials listed below either completed questionnaires themselves or acted as co-ordinators of information collected from different sections of the administration. Many of them undertook this task with energy and enthusiasm, for which we are most grateful. The academic experts, and their colleagues, provided information. commentary and access to a wealth of research studies on social assistance in their own countries. They also commented on our drafts and engaged with us in a continuous process of dialogue to improve and refine our understanding of national systems and policies. It has been an immensely valuable process, and while the responsibility for any errors or misinterpretations remains with the authors, the study would not have been possible without the knowledge, enthusiasm and hard work that the national informants contributed, for only modest rewards. Australia Ms Lynelle Briggs Ms Fiona Smart Social Policy Division Department of Social Security Austria Mr Hans Steiner Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs Dr Walter Pfeil Institute for Social and Labour Law University of Salzburg Belgium Mr 3. Donis International Relations Ministry of Social Security Mark Andries Professor Bea Cantillon Centre for Social Policy University of Antwerp Canada Mr Gilles Seguin Social Policy Information and Analysis Directorate Human Resources Development Canada Professor Patricia Evans School of Social Work York University Ontario vi Denmark Mr Per Hansen Ministry of Social Affairs Dr Peter Abrahamson Department of Economics and Planning Roskilde University Finland Ms Use Julkunen Professor Hannu Uusitalo National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health Helsinki France Mr Antoine Math Caisse Nationale des Allocations Familiales Dr.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Formation of Minimum Income Protection
    Luxembourg Income Study Working Paper Series Working Paper No. 373 The Formation of Minimum Income Protection Kenneth Nelson April 2004 Luxembourg Income Study (LIS), asbl THE FORMATION OF MINIMUM INCOME PROTECTION The Institutional Development of Means-tested Benefits in Different Types of Welfare States, 1960-2000 KENNETH NELSON Swedish Institute for Social Research Stockholm University ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to examine the institutional development of means-tested ben e- fits over the last four decades in a comparative perspective. The countries included in the study are Canada, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the Untied States. Since a main objective of means-tested benefits is to mitigate and alleviate poverty, the comparisons and evaluations presented in the study are based on the adequacy of benefits, that is, the extent to which provisions are provided at levels sufficient to allow recipients to escape pov- erty. The long time frame of the study also gives an opportunity to relate to the ongoing theo- retical discussion about potential differences in the development of means-tested benefits and social insurance entitlements. Here, two questions are addressed: the extent to which the development of means-tested benefits describes a different pattern than social insurance provi- sions, and the extent to which means-tested benefits are more prone to cutbacks than social insurance entitlements. The empirical analyses combine institutional information on the level of means-tested benefits with micro-level income data from the Luxembourg Income Study. Over the whole period covered, the development of means-tested benefits resembles more than diverges form that observed in the area of social insurance.
    [Show full text]
  • For Official Use DEELSA/ELSA/MIN(98)2/ANN
    For Official Use DEELSA/ELSA/MIN(98)2/ANN Organisation de Coopération et de Développement Economiques OLIS : 05-Jun-1998 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Dist. : 10-Jun-1998 __________________________________________________________________________________________ Or. Eng. DIRECTORATE FOR EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, LABOUR AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS For Official Use DEELSA/ELSA/MIN(98)2/ANN EMPLOYMENT, LABOUR AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE Meeting of the Employment, Labour and Social Affairs Committee at Ministerial Level on Social Policy BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS THE CARING WORLD: NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS TABLES AND CHARTS (Note by the Secretary-General) Paris, 23-24 June 1998 Declassified 66363 Or. Eng. Document complet disponible sur OLIS dans son format d'origine Complete document available on OLIS in its original format DEELSA/ELSA/MIN(98)2/ANN TABLE OF CONTENTS Table 2.1 Main social policy priorities and challenges ..............................................................................4 Table 3.1 Groups identified at significant risk of social exclusion, selected OECD countries .................9 Table 3.2 Total social assistance expenditure as a proportion of social security, 1980-1992 .................10 Table 3.3 Summary of social assistance arrangements, selected OECD countries .................................11 Table 4.1 Summary of assistance to families with children, OECD countries ........................................14 Table 4.2 Summary of special cash benefits for disabled children, selected OECD countries ...............15
    [Show full text]
  • Tax Credits Bill 5 DECEMBER 2001 Bill 52 of 2001/02
    RESEARCH PAPER 01/110 The Tax Credits Bill 5 DECEMBER 2001 Bill 52 of 2001/02 The Bill, due to receive its Second Reading on Monday 10 December 2001, revises the framework of financial support provided through the tax and benefit systems to low-income families. It introduces two new tax credits – the Child Tax Credit and the Working Tax Credit – and abolishes the existing welfare tax credits together with the child-specific parts of a range of social security benefits. The Child Tax Credit replaces the support currently provided by the Children’s Tax Credit and the child elements of Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance (income-based), Working Families’ Tax Credit and Disabled Person’s Tax Credit. The Working Tax Credit replaces the adult elements of Working Families’ Tax Credit and Disabled Person’s Tax Credit, increasing in-work support for childless families. Kim Greener/Graham Vidler SOCIAL POLICY SECTION HOUSE OF COMMONS LIBRARY Recent Library Research Papers include: 01/95 The National Health Service Reform and Healthcare Professions Bill 15.11.01 [Bill 47 of 2001-02] 01/96 The Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Bill, Parts IV& V: Immigration, 16.11.01 asylum, race and religion [Bill 49 of 2001-02] 01/97 The Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Bill, Part X: Police powers 16.11.01 [Bill 49 of 2001-02] 01/98 The Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Bill, Parts III & XI: Disclosure and 19.11.01 Retention of Information [Bill 49 of 2001-02] 01/99 The Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Bill, Parts I, II, VIII, IX & XIII: 19.11.01 Property,
    [Show full text]
  • Reducing Dependency, Increasing Opportunity: Options for the Future of Welfare to Work an Independent Report to the Department for Work and Pensions
    Reducing dependency, increasing opportunity: options for the future of welfare to work An independent report to the Department for Work and Pensions by David Freud Department for Work and Pensions Reducing dependency, increasing opportunity: options for the future of welfare to work David Freud An independent report to the Department for Work and Pensions Corporate Document Services © Crown Copyright 2007. Published for the Department for Work and Pensions under licence from the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office by Corporate Document Services, Leeds. Application for reproduction should be made in writing to The Copyright Unit, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, St Clements House, 2-16 Colegate, Norwich NR3 1BQ. First Published 2007. ISBN 978 1 84712 193 6 Views expressed in this report are not necessarily those of the Department for Work and Pensions or any other Government Department. Printed by Corporate Document Services. Contents iii Contents Foreword ........................................................................................................v Executive summary ........................................................................................ 1 1 UK performance to date ......................................................................... 11 2 Towards 80% in work ............................................................................ 45 3 Contracting support for the hard to help ................................................ 51 4 Modelling outcome based contracting ...................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Poverty122pp
    feature Celebrating sixty years of the welfare state? In the recent celebrations of the sixtieth being of many working-class communities by the socio-economic upheavals of those years.’ anniversary of the implementation of the majority of Beveridge’s welfare state Benefits also help people cope with family change, including allowing some individuals reforms, the National Insurance Acts and either an independent income within relation- ships or a way out of relationships which turn the National Assistance Act, which out to be abusive. And social security also ties together introduced a nationwide system of the whole population together in interwoven webs of cross-subsidy (as part of the public national insurance and a means-tested finances, which Richard Titmuss likened to Crewe junction, with transfers going in many safety net, seem to have been forgotten. different directions). Fran Bennett looks at what happened. This last point is worth emphasising. Far from benefits up to 2003 being a mechanism which emphasised ‘them’ and ‘us’ (as New Labour, wrongly, said when it introduced new tax cred- its), both national insurance and child benefit could be seen as drawing people together.2 National insurance does this by bringing about a sharing of risks, and acting as a national sav- ings scheme without high overheads. Child benefit does so by achieving redistribution over the individual lifecycle and between the genera- tions, with the whole community contributing to Mark Boulton/Photofusion everyone’s future through helping parents with the cost
    [Show full text]
  • Does the Cap Fit?
    Does the Cap fit? An Analysis of the Impact of Welfare Reform in London A research report commissioned by London Councils © Navigant Consulting (Europe) Ltd. All rights reserved November 2011. This document is expressly provided to and solely for the use of London Councils and must not be quoted from, referred to, used by or distributed to any other party without the prior consent of Navigant Consulting (Europe) Ltd who accepts no liability of whatsoever nature for any use by any other party. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Executive Summary.............................................................. 5 1.1 Introduction 5 1.2 Methodology 5 1.3 Data Analysis and Findings 6 1.4 How will the households affected respond? 6 1.5 Impact on Local Government Services 7 1.6 Conclusions 7 2 Introduction ........................................................................... 9 2.1 Purpose and Scope of the Study 9 2.2 The Welfare Reforms: Introduction to Universal Credit 9 3 Literature Review ................................................................ 11 3.1 The Department for Work and Pensions 12 3.2 Professional and Associative Bodies 13 3.3 Academic and Research Institutions 14 3.4 Lobby Groups 15 3.5 Conclusion 16 4 Methodology........................................................................ 18 4.1 Affordability Assessment 18 4.2 Case Study Group 19 4.3 London-wide Projections 19 4.4 Alternative UC Cap Assessment 20 4.5 Local Government Service Impacts 20 5 Data Analysis and Findings ............................................... 21 5.1 Case Study Borough Analysis 21 5.2 Affordability/Unaffordability by Borough 21 5.3 Degree of Affordability by Borough 22 5.4 Affordability by Household Type 27 5.5 Affordability by Bed-size by Borough 38 5.6 Assessing the Overall Impact on London of the UC Cap 38 5.7 Affordability Shortfalls for London 44 6 A Universal Credit Cap to fit London ...............................
    [Show full text]
  • SOCIAL SECURITY – WHERE HAVE WE BEEN and WHERE ARE WE GOING? If Universal Credit Is the Answer, What on Earth Was the Question?
    SOCIAL SECURITY – WHERE HAVE WE BEEN AND WHERE ARE WE GOING? If universal credit is the answer, what on earth was the question? October 2019 Alison Garnham ____________________________________________________________________________ Introduction – a brief history Our social security system is failing us big time. We have gone from Beveridge’s bestseller in 1942, which aimed to abolish the five giants of ‘want, disease, ignorance, squalor and idleness’, to the shaming spectacle of food banks and destitution in 2019, with 7 in 10 poor children living with a least one earner. What on earth happened? Tasked with reviewing the patchwork of existing health and social insurance schemes and remnants of the poor law, Beveridge set about creating a comprehensive system based on a national health service, national insurance benefits and child allowances. In the midst of war, he declared: ‘A revolutionary moment in the world’s history is a time for revolutions, not for patching.’1 His plan was dubbed by the press as support ‘from the cradle to the grave’. But Churchill dismissed it as ‘false hopes and airy visions of utopia and El Dorado’.2 As we face another revolutionary moment in UK history, has Churchill turned out to be right? Local poor law origins Recognisable themes repeat themselves across the history of UK social security. ‘Deserving’ and ‘undeserving’, low rates of benefit and extensive means-testing. Under the Elizabethan poor law, parish relief was designed to provide a residual safety net when other resources – from paid work, savings, charity, family and friends - had failed.3 Examples include residential ‘indoor relief’ and cash ‘outdoor relief’ for the deserving sick, orphans, elderly and widows.
    [Show full text]
  • Workfare in 21St Century Britain the Erosion of Rights to Social Assistance
    Workfare in 21st century Britain The erosion of rights to social assistance Dr. Anne Daguerre and Dr. David Etherington November 2014 Acknowledgments The research has been carried out thanks to the mid-career ESRC fellowship grant, ‘Welfare reform in the US and the UK: an interdisciplinary analysis’ (Grant number: ES/I035951/1). We wish to acknowledge the work of Florian Sintès, the research assistant on this project, whose professionalism and reliability are really outstanding. Florian also provided an up to date analysis of case law regarding the Reilly vs Wilson case. Professor Stephen Syrett from the Centre for Enterprise and Economic Development Research (CEEDR) has also been extremely helpful and supportive during various stages of the writing of this report. Finally, we would like to thank the various interviewees for their generosity with their time. Workfare in 21st century Britain Executive summary .............................................................................................................. 5 Background ........................................................................................................................ 5 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 5 Key findings ....................................................................................................................... 6 Introduction and methodology ......................................................................................... 8 1-
    [Show full text]
  • A Councillor's Guide to Leading the Homelessness Sector | Local Government Association []
    11/05/2021 A councillor's guide to leading the homelessness sector | Local Government Association [] Home [/] > Publications [/publications] View [/publications/councillors-guide-leading-homelessness-sector] Edit [/node/8265934/edit] Delete [/node/8265934/delete] Revisions [/node/8265934/revisions] A councillor's guide to leading the homelessness sector In this guide, we seek to provide councillors whether in cabinet, scrutiny or their own wards, with some key information about homelessness and, perhaps, more importantly, some inspiring examples of action by councils that has made a real difference already. Housing, planning and homelessness [/topics/housing-and-planning] 11 May 2021 LGA 5.111 Foreword When someone becomes homeless it is a personal tragedy. For a single person it can mean living rough, and a downward spiral of ill-health, unemployment and poverty. For families it can mean disrupted education, long hours travelling to work and huge strains on relationships. Councils face increased housing demand pressures across the board as they strive to provide homelessness support and invest in homelessness prevention services. Councillors face challenging policy choices and often see the impact of homelessness on individuals and their communities at first hand. The immediate impact of COVID-19 was a great concern and we saw councils do an incredible job getting people sleeping rough off the streets and into safe accommodation in record time. As we emerge from the pandemic waiting lists are set to potentially nearly double and the Local Government Association (LGA) is asking for councils to be given powers to kickstart a post-pandemic building boom of 100,000 new social homes for rent each year to help tackle the issue.
    [Show full text]
  • Financial Support for Single Parents in Caring for Their Children: Private Child Support and Social Assistance
    FINAL REPORT FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR SINGLE PARENTS IN CARING FOR THEIR CHILDREN: PRIVATE CHILD SUPPORT AND SOCIAL ASSISTANCE May 2015 DEBBIE BUDLENDER Submitted to UN Women Multi-Country Office - Caribbean UN Women is the UN organisation dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. UN Women supports UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality, and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes and services needed to implement these standards. It stands behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life, focusing on five priority areas: increasing women’s leadership and participation; ending violence against women; engaging women in all aspects of peace and security processes; enhancing women’s economic empowerment; and making gender equality central to national development planning and budgeting. UN Women also coordinates and promotes the UN system’s work in advancing gender equality. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of UN Women, the United Nations or any of its affiliated organisations. Editor: Jeffrey F. Stern Layout editor: Jerome Agostini FINAL REPORT FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR SINGLE PARENTS IN CARING FOR THEIR CHILDREN: PRIVATE CHILD SUPPORT AND SOCIAL ASSISTANCE Debbie Budlender Submitted to UN Women Multi-Country Office - Caribbean and the UNICEF Office for
    [Show full text]
  • Dignity and Opportunity for All: Securing the Rights of Disabled
    Dignity and Opportunity for All Dignity and Opportunity for justfair Dignity and Light Green: Pantone 573C Opportunity for All: (#c1e2de) Dark Green: Pantone 7473C (#29a294) Securing the rights of Blue: Pantone 7546C (#384f60) disabled people in the austerity era FULL REPORT just justfair fair 2014 © Just Fair July 2014 The Just Fair Consortium works to realise a fairer and more just society for everyone in the UK by monitoring and securing the fundamental human rights contained in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), including the rights to food, housing, social security, education, equality, employment and health. (www.just-fair.co.uk) ICESCR Monitoring Reports Every year, the Consortium publishes a number of monitoring reports assessing the extent to which rights under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) are being realised in the UK. This report focuses on the rights of disabled people to independent living, work, social protection, social security and an adequate standard of living, which are set out in ICESCR and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Authorship and Acknowledgments This report was authored by Jane Young. Aoife Nolan authored Chapter 2 and provided input throughout the report. Neil Crowther provided advice and support. Alice Donald provided editorial and overall support. Jonathan Butterworth undertook research and provided logistical support. We are extremely grateful to the organisations that provide funding for our vital monitoring and advocacy work: Barrow Cadbury Trust, Clifford Chance Foundation, Henry Tinsley Foundation, Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, Network for Social Change. Many Consortium members contributed to this report by identifying priority issues, providing data, and contributing qualitative evidence.
    [Show full text]
  • Unemployment-Related Benefits System in the United Kingdom
    RP15/99-00 Unemployment-Related Benefits System in the United Kingdom June 2000 Prepared by Mr Jackie WU Research and Library Services Division Legislative Council Secretariat 5th Floor, Citibank Tower, 3 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong Telephone : (852) 2869 7735 Facsimile : (852) 2525 0990 Website : http://legco.gov.hk E-mail : [email protected] C O N T E N T S page Acknowledgements Executive Summary Part 1 - Introduction 1 Background 1 Objectives and Scope 1 Methodology 2 Part 2 - Historical Development of Unemployment Insurance System 3 The 1911 National Insurance Act 3 The 1920 Amendments 4 The Unemployment Act of 1934 4 Reforms of the Unemployment Insurance System from 1940s to Mid-1990s 5 Reforms of the Unemployment Insurance System as Part of the 6 Restructuring of the Social Security System Programme in mid-1990s Jobseekers Act 1995 7 Jobseeker's Agreement 7 Part 3 - Current Unemployment Benefits Provisions 9 Jobseeker's Allowance 9 Eligibility Conditions for the Jobseeker's Allowance 9 Disqualifications from the Jobseeker's Allowance 9 Waiting Period 10 Contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance 10 Coverage of the Contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance 10 Qualifying Conditions for Receiving the Contribution-based 10 Jobseeker's Allowance Benefit Amount Payable by the Contribution-based Jobseeker's 12 Allowance Duration of Receiving the Contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance 12 Number of Beneficiaries Receiving the Contribution-based Jobseeker's 13 Allowance Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance 13 Coverage of the Income-based
    [Show full text]