Catalogue description Records of Newcastle Central Office

The Central Office at Newcastle was opened in October 1946, when following the development of comprehensive insurance schemes, it was widely recognised that considerable financial savings would be made if the central supervision of day to day administration was located outside London. Its work initially centred on the preparation and issue of allowance books under the Family Allowances Act 1945, including the maintenance of necessary indexes and records. In July 1948 the National Insurance and National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Acts came into effect; after this the Health Insurance and Pensions Division and the Unemployment Insurance Division were abolished and the new integrated schemes came under direct supervision from Newcastle.

The size of the organisation at Newcastle resulted in the apportionment of various functions to specific divisions. The Finance Branch was run by the assistant accountant general who was directly responsible to the accountant general in the Finance Department in London. This section was responsible not only for the payroll work for the establishment at Newcastle but also for the nationwide analysis of contributions received and the payment of benefits made under the insurance schemes.

The other divisions remained the responsibility of the controller. Of these, one incorporated the Family Allowances Branch, the Central Pensions Branch and the Contributions Branch; these supervised the national administration of insurance at local level, dealing with special awards, answering queries, issuing order books and maintaining relevant indexes and records. The Contributions Branch and its ancillary Overseas Group also dealt with complications arising from the collection of money from and issue of benefit to those living abroad, and it handled prosecutions arising from non-compliance with the scheme's requirements including cases of fraudulent claims. The other main division under the controller was mainly involved with internal administration, covering the Establishment and Organisation Section for Newcastle, and the Records Branch. This last has provided a general reference service for all local and regional offices administering the insurance schemes. It has built up an alphabetical index of all insured persons, containing full particulars of contributions and claims to benefit. This started in 1948 when the Ministry took over the work and records of the larger approved societies in respect of contributions. Eventually the work of the Records Branch became so complex that it became a separate division.

The structure and work of the Newcastle Central Office changed relatively little since its initial establishment. The Insurance Divisions in London dealt with policy matters, and Newcastle has been concerned with the administration of the insurance schemes, which have undergone legislative modification from time to time. In 1953 the Office passed to the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance and then in 1966 to the Ministry of Social Security. In 1968 it came under the Department of Health and Social Security.