§ Mr. Hastingsasked the Minister of National Insurance whether she will make a statement about the number of sickness benefit claims arising out of the influenza epidemic.
§ Dr. SummerskillYes. My Department has had the heaviest load of sickness benefit claims in its short history. I am glad to be able to say that our local. offices and the Central Office, Newcastle, have stood up to the test very well. During the first six weeks of the year the number of new claims to sickness benefit was almost double the figure for the same period last year—just over 2,100,000 compared with about 1,100,000. At one time some 1,500,000 persons—one in 15 of the insured population—were claiming sickness benefit.
A rapid rise in claims first occurred in the North, particularly on Tyneside 255W just before Christmas; by the first week in January every part of Great Britain was affected. All offices had to deal with a considerable increase in claims and many of them had four and five times the usual number; at the same time our staffs were seriously reduced by sickness. Special arrangements were put into force area by area as the claims rose. Mobile reserves were formed from staff relieved from other duties, and staff from offices in areas less affected by the epidemic were sent to help offices where pressure was greatest. Thanks to the whole-hearted response by the staff, who worked intensively and for long hours, and to the co-operation of the public, prompt payment of benefit was maintained throughout the epidemic.