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these 17,942 were exempt from Unemployment Insurance only and 16,586 from both Health and Unemployment Insurance.

The number of exemption certificates applied for, granted and refused during the year 1926 was as follows:

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Refused

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withdrawn.

4,789 3,999 798

3,288 3,102 105 8,077 7,101

903

Certificates of Exception.

The following table shows the number of Authorities, &c., which had certificates at 31st December, 1926:

Numbers of Authorities and Public Utility Companies which held certificates of Exception under Part II (d) (as amended) of the First Schedule to the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1920, at 31st December, 1926.

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Employment with Statutory Superannuation
rights (other than any cases included above)...

1,169

569

88

39

185

13

Total 2.063

The fall in the number of Poor Law Authorities in England and Wales as compared with the number at 31st December, 1925, (see p. 63 of the Report for 1925) is due to the fact that eight Unions have been amalgamated with other Unions. As regards railway companies the fall is due to the fact that in four cases. certificates have been cancelled. In the case of public utility companies twelve certificates have been cancelled and five new certificates have been issued.

While the total number of bodies holding certificates has increased since 31st December, 1925, by 54 only, the total number of certificates issued during 1926 was 181 (apart from 150 certificates of renewal). The majority of these were issued to bodies granted exception in respect of some class of employment not covered by the certificates they already held.

In July, 1926, the employing bodies concerned (other than railway companies) were asked to furnish statements showing the numbers of employees who, at 5th July, 1926, were excepted by reason of a certificate of exception. It is not possible to include these figures in the present Report, as some of the statements had not been rendered even by January, 1927. Moreover, detailed scrutiny of the statements in some cases threw doubt on the accuracy of the returns, and in other cases revealed misapprehension of the distinction between exception under para. (d) and exception under other paragraphs of the Schedule. Clearing up the position involved much correspondence, which was still proceeding at the time the present Report was prepared.

The railway companies were asked to supply similar figures as at 27th March, 1926, the date of the railway census. Their returns show that at this date approximately 411,300 persons were excepted by reason of certificates of exception.

The general strike and the subsequent effect of the coal dispute resulted in the suspension from work, without wages, of certain excepted employees, chiefly in railway companies. The exact effect on the administration of certificates of exception has not yet been fully explored.

A Board of Control in Scotland received a certificate of exception for the period from 8th November, 1920, to 3rd July, 1922 in respect of permanent employees with more than three years permanent service. The Board contested the Minister's view that contributions were payable in respect of the Board's insurable employees with less than three years' service. Early in 1923 the Minister instituted legal proceedings in Scotland for the recovery of the arrears of contributions held to be due. Since that date the case has been the subject of repeated and protracted hearings, culminating on 19th October, 1926, when Lord Constable issued his interlocutor on the original action and ordered the Board to pay the amount claimed with interest from the date of citation.

Amount paid.

BENEFIT.

The following table shows the amount of benefit paid during the year; it includes standard, extended and dependants benefit.

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The average weekly payment per head of persons actually drawing benefit within the year was 18s. 5d.

The average weekly number of persons paid benefit was about 1,046,800.

Determination of claims.

The following tables show the numbers of cases referred to the Chief Insurance Officer, the Courts of Referees and the Umpire respectively during 1926 and the nature of the decisions given by those authorities:

Claims Referred to Chief Insurance Officer during 1926.

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Analysis of Claims Disallowed by Umpire.

Ground of Disallowance.

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Number Disallowed.

142

...

...

396

514

392

2,806*

361

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A note of some of the more important decisions of the Umpire during the year is given in the Appendix to this Chapter.

Local Employment Committees.-The work of the Local Employment Committees in considering claims for extended and dependants benefit has continued on the same lines as in previous years. With a view to facilitating the work of the Committees a system was instituted during the year of interviewing, wherever practicable, all applicants for extended and dependants benefit before the applicants appeared before the committees. The interviews are are normally conducted by responsible officers at the Exchanges and the results of their inquiries are before the committees when cases are being considered. The debt of the Department and the public to the Committees for their devoted voluntary service on this work has been increased during the year under review. The work, as is indicated in the tables below has been very heavy, largely owing to the general strike and the coal stoppage, and it would be difficult to over-value the Committees' services:

Applications for Extended Benefit considered by Local Employment Committees, 12th January, 1926, to 10th January, 1927.

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The trade dispute disallowances refer largely to test cases.

The total

number of individuals affected by disallowances under this head is considerably

in excess of the figures shown in the tables.

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Poor Law Authorities.-The amount paid to Poor Law Authorities during the year under Section 14 of the Unemployment Insurance Act, 1922, in respect of excess relief paid by them pending consideration of applicants' claims to benefit (see Report for the year 1925, p. 71) was £155,491 and the average number of Authorities paid each month was 196.

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