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National Insurance Act

United Kingdom [1911]

Quick Summary

The National Insurance Act of 1911 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United Kingdom, part of a broader wave of social welfare reforms known as new liberalism. Spearheaded by figures like David Lloyd George, the act introduced two key contributory schemes: one for health and one for unemployment.12

These schemes required contributions from the insured individual, their employer, and the state. The health insurance component was managed through approved societies, while unemployment insurance was directly administered by the state. This act laid foundational elements for the modern welfare state in Britain.12

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