MAJORITY REPORT. 
grant of additional cash benefits, which may raise the former 
rate to 10s. and the latter to 20s., may make such supplementa- 
tion less necessary. But these additions are not universally 
operative, and many Societies do in fact give their members cash 
benefits at the basic rates only. 
THE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS. 
52. In this connection we may be permitted to refer to 
certain disparities between the Health and the Unemployment 
Insurance Schemes. In the latter the standard rate of benefit 
is 18s. a week, and additions of 5s. are made for the wife and 
2s. for each dependent child. Tt is difficult, in our opinion, to 
justify a less generous provision for the invalid than for the 
man in good health, whose circumstances certainly involve 
smaller expenditure. It is equally difficult to justify the exist- 
ence of two State schemes side by side, one of which recognises 
the needs of dependants and the other does not, in circumstances 
of hardship closely similar. Both schemes are designed to 
alleviate the distress arising from the cessation of income due 
to causes beyond the worker's control, and the question whether 
these causes are to be sought in ill-health or in the failure of 
employment has no bearing on the needs of dependants. 
It has been suggested to us by the National Association of 
Trade Union Approved Societies that, as a consequence of the 
higher rate of unemployment benefit there may be a temptation 
to apply for that benefit rather than for sickness benefit, even 
though the applicant may be incapable of work, and so fulfil 
the statutory condition for the latter. (Appendix XCII, 109.) In 
such a case he would, of course, be really disentitled to receive 
unemployment benefit. We have received no direct evidence 
on the point and, in any case, such evidence would probably 
be difficult to obtain. We do not doubt that this question, 
which primarily affects the administration of Unemployment 
Insurance, is fully in the minds of the officials of the Ministry 
of Labour. 
CERTIFICATION OF UNEMPLOYMENT. 
53. It has been suggested to us that the machinery of the 
Employment Exchanges should be utilised to certify genuine 
unemployment with a view to excusal of arrears under Health 
Insurance. We are impressed with this possibility, and have 
received evidence from the Ministry of Labour on the subject 
(App. CII, Q. 23,290 to 23,895). The question arises whether, in 
a period of widespread unemployment, arrears of contributions due 
to this cause should penalise the insured person in respect of 
benefits granted under the Health Insurance Scheme. While 
it is true that the Prolongation of Tnsurance Act and the present 
Arrears Regulations make a temporary and partial provision for