289

APPENDIX A.

SRR

of the expected number of claims for maternity benefit in Great Britain
in the year 1926:—
I. Wives of insured men os od ... 684,000
II. Insured married women  ... ne see 94,000
IIT. 7 oy (Class K) eT 91,000
IV. Insured unmarried women al «15,000

Since 90 per cent. of IL and III, or 166,500, are also included (as
estimated) in I, there are taken to be 517,500 confinements of uninsured
wives of insured men, or say 76 per cent. The average liability falling
on a man’s society in respect of the confinement of a wife of one of its
members is therefore: —

0

76 per cent. of £3 15s. 6d. (Case A)
94 per cent. of £3 5s. (Case B) ...

Hl
, 8

65

Towards which the present maternity benefit
provides a he es ree Re 0

Further provision required

00
‘B5

The average liability falling on a woman's society in respect of the
confinement of an insured married woman is:—
£
“900
325
1995

Against which there is a present
(average) provision of Be

2:200 (2:0 ““ Class K ’)

The new provision therefore
involves a reduction of ... 975 ("775 ¢“ Class K ")
In the case of an unmarried woman the new charge on her society
is £395 against a present provision of £2: increase, £125.

8. The effect of these provisions on the contributions, including the
necessary adjustments of the contributions applicable to the service
of Reserve Values, and after making allowance for the State grant,
is as follows: —

(a) The necessary increase of contribution in respect of men is
‘44d. per week. We have previously reported that after providing
an additional 3s. per year (throughout life) in respect of medical
benefit the contribution required for existing benefits is 811d. a
week, leaving a margin of ‘89d. The projected new provision in
respect of maternity services would therefore absorb almost exactly
one-half of this margin. This estimate would, however, be varied
if the cash payment of £1 to the mother, on her confinement, were
altered.
(b) In the case of women, the saving on the present payments
in respect of married women would much more than counterbalance
the additional expenditure on the cases arising among unmarried
women. The net effect would be to reduce the requisite contribution
for all benefits from its present figure of 8'34d. to 8'23d., thus
increasing the margin from ‘16d. to ‘27d.
The annual sum (inclusive of State grant) which would emerge if
these margins were applied to provide benefits throughout life would
be about £1,050,000 in the case of men and £300,000 in the case of
women.