APPENDIX A. 
So 
summary showing, approximately, the percentage which the claims of the 
whole insured population (in Approved Societies) in Great Britain have 
borne to the ‘‘ Expectation,’ i.e., to the provision made by the existing 
basis, in each of the six years 1919-24; separate results being given for 
men and for women. The second is a full statement of the experience 
in each of the years 1921-22-23 of a group of societies, so chosen as 
to constitute as nearly as may be in respect of each sex, a microcosm of 
the whole insured population. These societies included about 500,000 
men and 400,000 women, and in the aggregate therefore their records 
yield observations covering about 1} million years of life in the case of 
men and 1% million years in the case of women. The experiences are 
separately tabulated for the sexes and are given in adequate detail with 
reference to age. The material was collected and tabulated by the 
Minjstry of Health, and the actuarial analysis, of which summaries are 
given in the tables appended to this Report, was made by the Government 
Actuary’s Department. We shall refer hereafter to this experience as the 
“ Selected Societies Experience.” 
13. The summary of the experience of the insured population of Great 
Britain is contained in the following table. The figures are not exact 
since (i) it has been impracticable for the purpose of obtaining the 
“ Expected ’’ cost, to take out a complete age distribution of the insured 
population for each year included in the table and (ii) there are no 
means of ascertaining the extent to which, on the average of the whole 
insured population, the benefits have been reduced in each year in respect 
of arrears. It is believed however that the percentages shown are closely 
approximate to the actual facts; they are certainly near enough to them 
to supply an accurate index of the general course of the experience over 
the vears covered by the table. 
Percentages of actual to * expected’ cost of Sickness and Disablement 
Benefits in Great Britain. 
Men. 
Women. 
V ea 
1919 
1920 
1921 
1922 
1923 
1994 
“es ves “ee | 
see aes ore 
“ee “ee wes 
Sickness. 
75 
65 
67 
74 
64 
74 
Disablement. 
& 
eS 
42 
47 
56 
64 
7 
S0 
Sickness. 
71 
72 
8&0) 
C 
06 
Disablement. 
81 
94 
116 
130 
146 
161 
14, Men.--Looking first at the men’s experience it will be seen that 
the claims for sickness benefit have varied curiously between two levels, 
the higher of which has prevailed in the years 1919, 1922 and 1924 and 
the lower in the years 1920, 1921 and 1923. The higher level is probably 
explainable by the claims incidental to epidemic sickness, and the 
character of the fluctuations is such as to create doubt as to whether 
under existing conditions—including the liability to frequent and some- 
times severe visitations of influenza—an experience of even six years’ 
claims is sufficient to give a reliable average. In any case it enforces 
the need for retaining a reasonable margin if such average be adopted 
for the purpose of a new basis. 
15. The experience of disablement benefit has followed quite a different 
course, the claims have constantly risen and in 1924 (assuming that in the 
Meantime the expectation had not greatly changed) were nearly double 
those of the year 1919. The relative magnitude of these fioures compared