In 1908, Chancellor of the Exchequer and subsequently Prime Minister Asquith presented a budget to Parliament which allocated £1,200,000 for a pension scheme to start on 1 January 1909. Pensions of 5s per week (or 7s 6d for a married couple) were available to people over 70 who had an income of less than 10s per week. The beneficiaries of the scheme were not expected to make any financial contributions themselves.
Local Old Age Pensions Sub-Committees heard applications and determined claims under the supervision of the Local Government Board (Old Age pensions Branch). These functions were transferred to the National Assistance Board in 1948 under the National Assistance Act.
Old Age pensions sub-committee records include minute books which record decisions about individual claims; registers of claims and questions which include the name and address of the claimant, the decision of the Sub-Committee, the amount of pension awarded and additional comments; and Naval and Army separation allowance registers of claims and questions which record the name, official number and military establishment of the claimant, the name and address of their dependents, the Sub-Committee's decision and additional remarks.
Links to online catalogues:
Whitehaven Rural Sub-Committee
Wigton Sub-Committee - held amongst the records of Wigton Urban District Council: please contact Carlisle Archives directly for full details.