London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Chelsea 1956
Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1956
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NATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT, 1948.
Section 50 of the above Act empowers a local authority to arrange the
burial or cremation of any person in respect of whan no other suitable
action can be taken.
The Borough Council has,, however, only carried out interments,,
In certain instances it has not been found possible to trace any surviving
relatives, but if a cremation was arranged and ultimately a member of the
deceased's family was contacted, it might well be that the Council would
be challenged as to their right to have so proceeded.
The National Insurance Act, 1946, provides that under certain circumstances, death grants may be obtained as follows:-
| (a) | under the age of three years | £ 6 |
| (b) | between three and six years | £10 |
| (c) | between six and eighteen years | £15 |
| (d) | over the age of eighteen years | £20 |
Grants as indicated above are only payable to liable relatives;
a local authority whilst assuming the role of a "liable relative" will only
receive reimbursement to the extent of three-fifths of an applicable grant,
as stipulated by the National Insurance (Death Grant) Regulations, 1949.
Since this particular Act became operative, interments have been carried out as follows:-
| 1943 (approximately 6 months) | 43+ |
| 1949 | 25 |
| 1950 | 9 |
| 1951 | 10 |
| 1952 | 9 |
| 1953 | 12 |
| 1954 | 4 |
| 1955 | 6 |
| 1956 | 11 |
+ During 1948, the Borough Council arranged the
interments of persons dying in local hospitals
as well as at their homes. Subsequently the
Minister of Health transferred this responsibility
to the hopsital authorities when deaths occurred
on their premises.