10 -
1.
Following the introduction by Germany of a social insurance scheme, Austria a dopted similar legislation and during the subsequent period of 30 to 40 years the United Kingdom and other European countries, the USSR and
Ja pan did the
sane.
In the 1930s, after the great depression, social insurance spread to Latin America as well as to the United States and Canada. In Africa, Asia and the Caribbean region, it came at different times after the end of the Second World War, following the achievement of national independence.
Social assistance
8.
new
As indicated earlier, under the system of poor-relief, the beneficiary had to accept the suspension of his civic rights. Towards the beginning of the century it was advocated in Denmark that it was wrong for old people to be exposed to this indignity after a long working life in the service of the country, and a scheme which may
be called "social assistance" was introduced. Under this scheme benefits were payable, as of legal right, from public funds, where there existed needs of prescribed types, provided it was deemed not to be due to the applicant's own fault. This type of scheme developed chiefly in Scandinavia and the English- speaking world. 1 The first contingency to be covered was that of old age, but gradually such contingencies as invalidity, death and unemployment became covered.
In New Zealand and Austria, a complete social security system was established by amalgamating a series of social assistance schemes.
to
be
9.
In some developing countries, this type of scheme has played an important role for social security protection. For example, the non-contributory pension scheme has been in existence in Barbados, British Guiana, some states of India, Mauritius and Trinidad and Tobago. It is, however, important to note certain difficulties involved in the implementation of this type of scheme, particularly in developing countries. For example, such a scheme in some developing Countries is, by virtue of its simplicity, rather arbitrary and non-selective in its granting of benefits. Many persons draw pensions who have other and more substantial income. A Deans or income test would be the most satisfactory way of keeping down costs, while at the same time ensuring that benefits go to those most in need. developing countries, however, the number of beneficiaries involved and the existing workload of the government agency responsible for the operation of such a scheme often present a task beyond the agency's administrative capacity to undertake in the
near future.
In
Public services
10. After the Second World War an important type of social security has been introduced, namely the direct provision by the State of benefit or services to every resident. Such provision is not limited to workers covered by social insurance ΟΙ to "needy persons". To this category of social security measures belong the payment of a pension to every aged, invalid, orphaned or widowed resident; a family benefit to every child; or a maternity grant to every nother. Furthermore, a national
health service under which fairly comprehensive free medical care is provided by the State for everybody belongs to this category of social security measures. A number of countries, such as Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, New Zealand, the USSR and the United Kingdom, have introduced such a scheme.
11. The development of а comprehensive national health service may be regarded as the result of the merging of the earlier medical benefits of health insurance with the free hospital care provided by the public authorities. The first step for this development was the assumption by public authorities of responsibility for the organisation of all medical care services, rather than the organisation of persons who demand medical care, which was usually realised by the introduction of health insurance. The next step is to provide comprehensive medical care to the entire population, subject, in certain cases, to nominal charges to prevent abuse.
12. In many developing countries of Asia there are public services to provide medical care, at least in theory, to all the population; such is the case, for example, in Burma, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka
and Thailand.
1 It may, however, be noted that the basic unemployment France and Luxembourg belong to the same category.
benefit schemes in
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