APPENDIX A. 
363 
po 
5. After making due allowance for the fact that Col. (1) includes all 
claims, however short, while with few exceptions Col. (2) excludes cases that 
did not extend to at least four days, it is clear from Table 1 that in 
National Health Insurance there have been relatively many fewer claims 
than in the Manchester Unity Experience but that the duration has been 
more prolonged, especially at ages under 45. These results do not give us 
any clear indication of what to expect in regard to the corresponding 
factors in the experience of disablement benefit. On the whole, since the 
differences between Cols. (2) and (1) are more marked than the differences 
between Cols. (4) and (3), it would perhaps be reasonable to look for a 
smaller proportion drawing disablement benefit in the case of the Selected 
Societies than in the case of the Manchester Unity, especially if the theory 
that the disablement benefit experience has not yet reached maturity is well- 
founded. The facts obtained are shown in Table 2. It is necessary to 
explain in regard to this table that there are two factors as to the pro- 
portions receiving benefit which should be distinguished (a) the proportion 
completing sickness benefit and entering on disablement benefit during 
the year and (b) the full proportion in receipt of disablement benefit. This 
latter includes with (a) those on the disablement list at the beginning of 
the year and those who on first claiming during the year were only 
entitled to disablement benefit under the *‘linking-up ’® provision of 
the Act.* 
TasLE 2. 
Proportion of members reaching 
disablement benefit in the course 
of the vear (per thousand). 
Proportion of members drawing 
disablement benefit in the course 
of the vear (per thousand). 
Central age of 
group. 
18 
22} 
274 
32 
5 
4 
47 
524 
574 
AL 
M.U. 
approx.) 
1) 
1% 
1 ? 
29 
40) 
Selected 
Societies. 
(2) 
| 
| 
1 
2 
M.U. 
approx.) 
; pare 
] 
4 
64 
119 
Selected 
Societies. 
(4) 
i 
2 
2s 
47 
21 
6. It will be seen that up to age 40 the proportion reaching disablement 
benefit during the year in the Selected Societies was practically identical 
with the Manchester Unity Experience, although the proportion who had 
sickness benefit was very much smaller. This seems to throw up in 
strong relief the effect of ¢‘ longer duration.” The full proportion draw- 
ing disablement benefit is actually greater up to 40 than in the standard 
experience. This may be due to the existence of a greater proportion of 
“ linked-up »’ cases. If the greater average duration of sickness benefit 
is attributable in part to frequent claims from a small section of persons 
of inferior health at entry. a class which, owing to medical examination, 
* Where a person has received sickness or disablement benefit and recovers, any 
subsequent incapacity is treated as a continuation of the previous incapacity unless a 
period of one year has elapsed, Otherwise the two attacks are “linked-up'’ and in such 
case if sickness benefit is payable at the beginning of the second attack the claimant is not 
subject to the waiting period of three days. This explains the difference between 
Cols. (2) and (8) in Tables I. II and IIT appended.