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52
The Department was concerned with six such cases during the year, three of which
were still in hand at the end of the year. No Court Order was necessary in any of the three
concluded cases, which were as follows:—
Case 1 Woman 70-75 years of age suffering from a grave chronic disease
(rheumatoid arthritis). She refused all assistance but finally became
so ill that removal to hospital was inevitable. She died shortly after
admission.
Case 2 Woman 70-76 years of age refused at first to enter an Institution, but
finally consented.
Case 3 Woman 76 years of age. Application was made for an Order for her
removal, but was withdrawn when she agreed to be admitted to
hospital.
Burials.
Section 50 of the National Assistance Act, 1948, placed upon the Borough Council,
as from the 5th July, 1948, the duty of causing "to be buried or cremated the body of any
person who has died or been found dead in their area, in any case where it appears to the
authority that no suitable arrangements for the disposal of the body have been or are being
made otherwise than by the authority".
It will be realised that the cases brought for the attention of the Department are of
persons who die in poor circumstances. Moreover it must be emphasised that a large proportion
of them have no known relatives.
During the year 55 cases were dealt with at a total cost of £456 4s. 6d., of which
£287 8s. Od. was recovered by the Department, leaving a net cost to the Council of £168 16s. 6d.
It was not until the 5th July, 1949, that the provisions of the National Health Service
Act, 1946, regarding payment of death grants, came into operation, and the opportunity for
recovery of burial expenses prior to that date was limited to such sources as insurance policies,
pensions or National assistance payments remaining unclaimed at the time of death, or such
small sums of money as were found "on the body". Goods and chattels in most cases were
of little or no value. The rooms of many of the deceased persons when visited by the staff
of the Department were in a filthy state and it was pathetic that the late occupants had regarded
the contents as "furniture" In a number of instances the rooms were disinfested and the
contents cleared and destroyed.
Death grants are now payable, subject to certain conditions, in respect of persons who
were under 65 (men) or 60 (women) on the 5th July, 1948. The grant was successfully claimed
in respect of four cases, the amount received being £29 19s. Od.