What is the British equivalent of Social Security?
National Insurance number
The National Insurance number is used as a reference number in the Pay As You Earn system, and also by the self-employed. It is also used in applications for Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), to check that an individual has opened only one ISA in a tax year.
Federal Public Service Social Security
The FPS Social Security and Public Institutions of Social Security (, , ), more commonly known as the FPS Social Security, is a Federal Public Service of Belgium. It was created by Royal Order on May 23, 2001, as part of the plans of the Verhofstadt I Government to modernise the federal administration.
Guaranteed minimum income
The United States has multiple social programs that provide guaranteed minimum incomes for individuals meeting certain criteria such as assets or disability. For instance, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a United States government program that provides stipends to low-income people who are either aged (65 or older), blind, or disabled. SSI was created in 1974 to replace federal-state adult assistance programs that served the same purpose. Today the program provides benefits to approximately eight million Americans. Another such program is Social Security Disability Insurance (SSD or SSDI), a payroll tax-funded, federal insurance program. It is managed by the Social Security Administration and is designed to provide income supplements to people who are physically restricted in their ability to be employed because of a notable disability, usually a physical disability. SSD can be supplied on either a temporary or permanent basis, usually directly correlated to whether the person's disability is temporary or permanent.
Swedish Social Insurance Agency
The Swedish Social Insurance Agency () is a government agency in Sweden that administers social insurance in Sweden.
British Insurance Services
British Insurance Services is an insurance provider based in Southport, Merseyside, offering payment protection insurance and home insurance. The company is an online-only insurance provider which sells its policies independently of loan providers. It is a subsidiary of Towergate Underwriting Group Limited, and had gross written premiums of around £12 million as of 2012.
Social Fund (UK)
The United Kingdom coalition government has abolished the discretionary social fund with effect from April 2013, by means of legislation contained in the Welfare Reform Act 2012. Community care grants and crisis loans will be abolished from April 2013 and instead funding is being made available to local authorities in England and to the devolved administrations to provide such assistance in their areas as they see fit.
Social Security Scotland
Many aspects of social security will remain reserved to the United Kingdom Parliament, and will continue to be administered through the Department for Work and Pensions. These include:
Ministry of Social Security (UK)
In November 1968, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Security were merged to create the new Department of Health and Social Security (DHSS).
Welfare Reform Act 2012
The Welfare Reform Act 2012 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom which makes changes to the rules concerning a number of benefits offered within the British social security system. It was enacted by the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 8 March 2012.
R (on the application of SG and others) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
R (on the application of SG and others) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions was a 2015 judgment by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom where by a majority of 3-2 the court ruled that the benefit cap, a British government policy limiting welfare benefits, was legal. The benefit cap limits British social security benefits to £500 per week regardless of the number of children in a family and the level of local rents. The case was brought on behalf of two single mothers. One known as SG was the mother of six children the youngest of whom is four years old. The second mother known as NS had three children and had a marriage with a long history of sexual abuse and domestic violence. The Supreme Court did however rule that the cap breaches United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme
The State Earnings Related Pension Scheme (SERPS), originally known as the State Earnings Related Pension Supplement, was a UK Government pension arrangement, to which employees and employers contributed between 6 April 1978 and 5 April 2002, when it was replaced by the State Second Pension.
Social Security Administration Act 1992
The Social Security Administration Act 1992 (c 5) is the main piece of legislation dealing with the administration of social security benefits in the United Kingdom.
Disability benefits
In the United Kingdom disability benefits are covered by Department for Work and Pensions.There are numerous benefits available for people of different ages and different personal circumstances
In the United States, disability benefits for most Americans are covered and paid for by the Social Security Administration (a government agency). There are two main programs administered by the SSA; Social Security Disability Insurance program (SSDI) and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. There is also a specific program for children with disabilities.
NFU Mutual
The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited, trading as NFU Mutual, is a UK registered mutual insurance composite. It underwrites more than £1 billion (2008) in annual premium in life and general insurance lines for rural communities within the UK. NFU Mutual is based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. In contrast to insurance companies owned by their shareholders, NFU Mutual is owned by its policyholders.
Unlike most other UK insurers, NFU Mutual sells its policies predominantly through a network of tied agents which are located mainly in rural areas. At the end of 2014 NFU Mutual had 639 (2013: 655) NFU Mutual Agents working out of 319 (2013: 323) offices. NFU Mutual employs around 3,800 people throughout the UK. This network enjoys a close relationship with the National Farmers Union (NFU). In 1909 the NFU Mutual was formed to offer insurance as an inducement for farmers to join the NFU. Many of the agents double as local union representatives. Many agents are self-employed and all are tied to NFU Mutual products.
Social Security Appeal Tribunal
The Social Security Appeal Tribunal was a tribunal in the United Kingdom which heard appeals from decisions made by the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs and local authorities regarding entitlement to various forms of social security benefits.
Social work
In the United Kingdom, just over half of social workers are employed by local authorities, and many of these are represented by UNISON, the public sector employee union. Smaller numbers are members of the Unite the Union and the GMB (trade union). The British Union of Social Work Employees (BUSWE) has been a section of the Community (trade union) since 2008.
Big Society Capital
Big Society Capital Limited (BSC) is an independent social investment institution in the United Kingdom, which provides finance to organizations that support front-line social sector entities to help them grow. Social investment is about lending or investing money to achieve a social, as well as, financial return. BSC was the world's first social investment institution of its kind, established by the Cabinet Office and launched as an independent organisation with a £600m investment fund in April 2012. The investment fund comes from dormant bank accounts via an independent Reclaim Fund and four leading UK high street banks. The institution was set up as part of the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008, which defined BSC as an organization that exists "to enable other bodies to give financial or other support to third sector organisations". (A third sector or a social sector organisation is "a body that exists to assist wholly or mainly for society or the environment".)
United Kingdom government austerity programme
Working-age social security payments such as Universal Credit, Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit, Housing Benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance have had their rate of increase reduced by austerity. From 2013 onwards, these payments were limited to a maximum annual increase of 1% instead of being increased annually according to the rate of inflation. The policy of suspending the social security payments of unemployed claimants who were judged not to be adequately seeking work was continued, and the frequency and severity of the sanctions was increased. From 2016 a four-year freeze on all working-age social security payments was introduced. It was anticipated that it would affect 11 million UK families and reduce expenditure by £9 billion, a figure later increased to £13 billion. The Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 abolished the Work-Related Activity Component of Employment and Support Allowance for new claimants from April 2017. This reduced the weekly social security payments for the disabled people affected by £29.05 a week (at 2017/18 rates). The reduction in government expenditure was initially forecast to be £640 million per annum by 2020/21, though this was later revised to £450 million.
Ministry of Social Security Act 1966
The Ministry of Social Security Act 1966 was a piece of legislation passed by the United Kingdom Parliament to establish the Supplementary Benefits Scheme whereby the National Assistance Board was transformed into the Supplementary Benefit Board. By merging this with the Ministry of Pensions and National Assistance, the new Ministry of Social Security was created. The Act received Royal Assent on 3 August 1966.
Social Security number
Social Security was originally a universal tax, but when Medicare was passed in 1965, objecting religious groups in existence prior to 1951 were allowed to opt out of the system. Because of this, not every American is part of the Social Security program, and not everyone has a number. However, a social security number is required for parents to claim their children as dependents for federal income tax purposes, and the Internal Revenue Service requires all corporations to obtain SSNs (or alternative identifying numbers) from their employees, as described below. The Old Order Amish have fought to prevent universal Social Security by overturning rules such as a requirement to provide a Social Security number for a hunting license.
Ministry of Social Security (UK)
In 1966, the Supplementary Benefits Commission (part of the National Assistance Board) was merged with the Ministry of Pensions and National Assistance to form the new Ministry of Social Security, as part of the Ministry of Social Security Act 1966.
Social Security and National Insurance Trust
The SSNIT, or the Social Security and National Insurance Trust, is an important agency of the government of Ghana. The "job description" of the SSNIT, according to its website, is to administrate the National Pension Scheme. In so doing, the SSNIT owns major amounts of stock in Ghana's principal companies, and is an important part of Ghana's economy.The SSNIT TOP management has changed since 7th January 2017 so the information there is wrong.
Social Security (United States)
The analogy to insurance, however, is limited by the fact that paying FICA taxes creates no legal right to benefits and by the extent to which Social Security is, in fact, funded by FICA taxes. During 2011 and 2012, for example, FICA tax revenue was insufficient to maintain Social Security's solvency without transfers from general revenues. These transfers added to the general budget deficit like general program spending.
Social Security debate in the United States
Social Security is funded through the Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax (FICA), a payroll tax. Employers and employees are each responsible for making tax payments of 6.2% of wages in 2018 (12.4% total) as FICA contributions, typically withdrawn from paychecks. Non-employee contractors are responsible for the entire 12.4%. During 2018, Social Security taxes were levied on the first $128,400 of income for employment; amounts earned above that are not taxed. Covered workers are eligible for retirement and disability benefits. If a covered worker dies, his or her spouse and children may receive survivors' benefits. Social Security accounts are not the property of their beneficiary and are used solely to determine benefit levels. Social Security funds are not invested on behalf of beneficiaries. Instead, current tax receipts are used to pay current benefits (the system known as "pay-as-you-go"), as is typical of some insurance and defined-benefit plans.
British National (Overseas)
British Nationals (Overseas) are subject to immigration controls and have neither the right of abode or the right to work in the United Kingdom. BN(O)s are required to pay a "health surcharge" to access National Health Service benefits when residing in the UK for longer than six months. They are also ineligible for the Registered Traveller service, which enables expedited clearance through British immigration, despite HKSAR passport holders being eligible.
National Insurance Act 1946
The National Insurance Act 1946 (c 67) was a British Act of Parliament which established a comprehensive system of social security throughout the United Kingdom.
Social Security (United States)
Both "defined benefit" and "defined contribution" private pension plans are governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), which requires employers to provide minimum levels of funding to support "defined benefits" pensions. The purpose is to protect the workers from corporate mismanagement and outright bankruptcy, although in practice many private pension funds have fallen short in recent years. In terms of financial structure, the current Social Security system is analogous to an underfunded "defined benefit" pension ("underfunded" meaning not that it is in trouble, but that its savings are not enough to pay future benefits without collecting future tax revenues).
Pensions in Turkey
Until May 2006, there were three separate social security institutions: SSK, for private and public sector workers; Emekli Sandiği (ES), for civil servants; and Bağ-Kur, for self-employed workers and farmers. In 2006 these were all merged into one institution, the Sosyal Güvenlik Kurumu (Social Security Institution, SGK).
Social care in England
Social care in England is defined as the provision of social work, personal care, protection or social support services to children or adults in need or at risk, or adults with needs arising from illness, disability, old age or poverty. The main legal definitions flow from the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 with other provisions covering responsibilities to informal carers. That provision may have one or more of the following aims: to protect people who use care services from abuse or neglect, to prevent deterioration of or promote physical or mental health, to promote independence and social inclusion, to improve opportunities and life chances, to strengthen families and to protect human rights in relation to people's social needs.
Old age
In 2003, the age at which a United States citizen became eligible for full Social Security benefits began to increase gradually, and will continue to do so until it reaches 67 in 2027. Full retirement age for Social Security benefits for people retiring in 2012 is age 66. In the United Kingdom, the state pension age for men and women will rise to 66 in 2020 with further increases scheduled after that."
Qualifications for professional social work
Non-registered or non-qualified social care practitioners in the United Kingdom, often referred to as Social Services Assistants, Child and Family Workers or Community Care Assistant or Community Care Workers (not to be confused with domiciliary or care home care workers), are unregistered social care practitioners that often do not hold any formal social work qualification and they must practice under the direct supervision of a registered social worker. This is not the case in Scotland where the scope of registration for social service workers is more advanced.
Social security in Spain
The social security system (Spanish: "seguridad social") in Spain is its principal system of social protection. The concept of social security first appeared in Spain in 1883 under the Committee for Social Reform, it was expanded several times during the twentieth century and finally the right to social security was enshrined in the Spanish Constitution of 1978 under Article 41 which states "that the public authorities shall maintain a public social security system for all citizens, guaranteeing sufficient support and social benefits in situations of need, especially in the event of unemployment, and that the support and additional benefits shall be free".
Social Security Administration
SSA is headquartered in Woodlawn, Maryland, just to the west of Baltimore, at what is known as Central Office. The agency includes 10 regional offices, 8 processing centers, approximately 1300 field offices, and 37 Teleservice Centers. , about 60,000 people were employed by SSA. Headquarters non-supervisory employees of SSA are represented by American Federation of Government Employees Local 1923. Social Security is the largest social welfare program in the United States. For 2014, the net cost of Social Security was $906.4 billion, an amount corresponding to 21% of US Federal Government expenditures.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) is an unemployment benefit paid by the Government of the United Kingdom to people who are unemployed and actively seeking work. It is part of the social security benefits system and is intended to cover living expenses while the claimant is out of work.
Social Security Scotland
Social Security Scotland is expected to be responsible for the provision of 10 social security payments which includes 3 additional social security payments of specific welfare areas by 2021. They are being implemented on a rolling basis to ensure continuity and a smooth transition. When fully implemented, these payments will include:Social Security Scotland will operate from two large bases in Dundee and Glasgow, alongside operations at a local level.
Social Security Tribunal of Canada
Social Security Tribunal of Canada (formerly Canada Pension Plan / Old Age Security Review Tribunals) is a Canadian independent body that is mandated to hear quasi-judicial issues regarding the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Old Age Security (OAS), and the Employment Insurance Act (EI).
List of countries with universal health care
Universal healthcare and pensions are run by the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS). In 1941, Costa Rica established Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), a social security insurance system for wage-earning workers. In 1961, coverage was expanded to include workers’ dependents and from 1961 to 1975, a series of expansions extended coverage for primary care and outpatient and inpatient specialized services to people in rural areas, the low-income population, and certain vulnerable populations. Further expansions during the late 1970s extended insurance coverage to farmers, peasants, and independent contract workers. Additionally, CCSS mandates free health service provision to mothers, children, indigenous people, the elderly, and people living with disabilities, regardless of insurance coverage. By 2000, 82 percent of the population was eligible for CCSS, which has continued to expand in the ensuing period. By covering all population groups through the same system, Costa Rica has avoided social insurance stratification and inequity common in many other countries in the region.
International Social Security Association
The ISSA publishes a quarterly journal in the social security field, the International Social Security Review in English, in collaboration with Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. The ISSA's periodic series "Developments and Trends" and "Social Policy Highlight" disseminate new findings on social security policy and practice internationally. It co-publishes the series "Social Security Programs Throughout the World", in co-operation with the [ United States Social Security Administration]]] In partnership with the OECD and the International Organisation of Pension Supervisors (IOPS), the ISSA produces "Complementary and Private Pensions Throughout the World". The ISSA also issues an electronic newsletter; social security policy briefs; analytical reports on specific topics; and a range of thematic technical reports. The ISSA provides comprehensive data on various aspects of social security including: an overview of social security systems worldwide; a monitor of social security reforms; summaries of complementary and private pension systems; social security legislation; a comprehensive bibliography; and a thesaurus of social security terminology. Databases are available via the ISSA Web portal.
Child benefits in the United Kingdom
The Social Security Act 1986 provided for Family Income Supplement to be replaced with Family Credit, a similar scheme.
Supplemental Security Income
Aged – Being deemed aged consists of attaining the age of 65 or older. The Social Security Administration, like the United States Government in general, follows English common law and considers a person to attain an age the day before their birthday.
Social security in Germany
Social security in Germany is codified on the "Sozialgesetzbuch" (SGB), or the "Social Code", contains 12 main parts, including the following,
The "unemployment benefit I" in Germany is also known as the unemployment insurance. The insurance is administered by the federal employment agency and funded by employee and employer contributions. This in stark contrast to FUTA in the US and other systems; where only employers make contributions. Participation (and thus contributions) are generally mandatory for both employee and employer. All workers with a regular employment contract, except freelancers and certain civil servants, contribute to the system. Since 2006, certain previously excluded workers have been able to opt into the system on a voluntary basis.
Disability pension
The United Kingdom equivalents are:In order to cover loss of income from illness and disability, there is also Statutory Sick Pay, and its long term equivalent - Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). The new Universal Credit scheme will include an equivalent element for those with long-term unfitness to work; ESA will consequently be abolished by the roll out of Universal Credit.
Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992
The Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 (c 4) is the primary legislation concerning the state retirement provision, accident insurance, statutory sick pay and maternity pay in the United Kingdom.
NHS Pension Scheme
The NHS Pension Scheme is a pension scheme for people who work for the English NHS and NHS Wales. It is administered by the NHS Business Services Authority, a special health authority of the Department of Health of the United Kingdom. The NHS Pension Scheme was created in 1948.
Socialist Students
Socialist Students is a socialist organisation with branches in universities, further education colleges and sixth form colleges in the United Kingdom. Socialist Students was established in the late 1990s by members of the Socialist Party (SP) who had built support for the Save Free Education Campaign amongst students in the battle over the introduction of fees when the Labour Party under Tony Blair was elected in 1997.
Social Security (play)
Social Security is a play by Andrew Bergman.
Welfare Reform Act 2007
The Welfare Reform Act 2007 (c.5) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which alters the British social security system. A number of sections come into force two months after royal assent and the first commencement order made under the Act specified that section 31 came into force on 1 November 2007.
Office of the Chief Actuary
The Office of the Chief Actuary is a government agency that has responsibility for actuarial estimates regarding social welfare programs. In Canada, the Office of the Chief Actuary works with the Canada Pension Plan and the Old Age Security Program. In the United States, both the Social Security Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have an Office of the Chief Actuary that deals with Social Security and Medicare, respectively. A similar agency in the United Kingdom is called the Government Actuary's Department (GAD).
Social Security Wage Base
For the Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI) tax or Social Security tax in the United States, the Social Security Wage Base (SSWB) is the maximum earned gross income or upper threshold on which a wage earner's Social Security tax may be imposed. The Social Security tax is one component of the Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax (FICA) and Self-employment tax, the other component being the Medicare tax. It is also the maximum amount of covered wages that are taken into account when average earnings are calculated in order to determine a worker's Social Security benefit.
Centrelink
Centrelink commenced initially as a government agency of the Department of Social Security under the trading name of the Commonwealth Services Delivery Agency in early 1997. Following the passage of the "Commonwealth Services Delivery Agency Act 1997", the Centrelink brand name came into effect in late 1997. Offices were established nationally to manage services to people in need of social security payments.
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security is the commonly used term for the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program and is administered by the Social Security Administration. The original Social Security Act was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1935, and the current version of the Act, as amended, encompasses several social welfare and social insurance programs.
Social Market Foundation
The Social Market Foundation (SMF) is an independent British public policy think-tank based in Westminster, London. It is one of the 'Top 12 Think Tanks in Britain' and was named 'UK Think Tank of the Year' by Prospect in 2012. Its purpose is to "advance the education of the public in the economic, social and political sciences" and to "champion ideas that marry a pro-market orientation with concern for social justice". Policy ideas are based on the concept of the social market economy.
National Insurance
National Insurance (NI) is a tax system in the United Kingdom paid by workers and employers for funding state benefits. Initially, it was a contributory form of insurance against illness and unemployment, and eventually provided retirement pensions and other benefits. Citizens pay National Insurance contributions to become eligible for State Pension and other benefits. Anyone 16 years old and above are mandated to pay National Insurance provided the employee earns more than £162 a week or the individual is self-employed and makes a profit of £6,205 or more annually. It is necessary to obtain a National Insurance number before starting to pay contributions.
Ronald Mourad Cohen
In 2007 he co-founded and became a non-executive director of Social Finance UK, a London-based advisory organisation that has worked to create a social investment market in the UK. The organisation provides access to capital, designs social finance interventions and offers advice to investors and social sector entities interested in delivering significant social impact. It has developed the social impact bond which is a financial instrument that is an outcomes-based contract in which public sector commissioners commit to pay for significant improvement in social outcomes for a defined population. Social Finance set up a pilot social impact bond with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in September 2010 to reduce re-offending amongst male prisoners leaving HMP Peterborough who have served a sentence of less than 12 months. During the Peterborough Prison pilot, experienced social sector organisations, such as St. Giles Trust and the Ormiston Children and Families Trust, provided intensive support to 3,000 short-term prisoners over a six-year period, both inside prison and after release, to help them resettle into the community. In July 2017, the success of the Peterborough Social Impact Bond was announced. The results showed reoffending of short-sentenced offenders reduced by 9% overall compared to a national control group. This exceeded the target of 7.5% set by the Ministry of Justice. As a result, the 17 investors in the Peterborough Social Impact Bond receive a single payment representing their initial capital plus an amount that will represent a return of just over 3% per annum for the period of investment. Cohen is also a member of the board of directors for Social Finance UK's sister organisation in the United States, Social Finance US.
Economy of Scotland
The UK Government along with the Parliament of the United Kingdom retains some control over Scotland's fiscal environment, in relation to taxation (including tax rates and tax collection) and the overall share of central government expenditure apportioned to Scotland, in the form of an annual block grant. It also retains complete responsibility for the operation of the Welfare State, in terms of pensions, unemployment insurance and child benefit – as part of the UK-wide Welfare State exercised by the UK Department for Work and Pensions and HM Treasury. Whilst the UK Government retains most control over social security schemes, the Scottish Government has introduced a "Scottish Welfare Fund" to lessen the impact of cuts on welfare.
Tim Smit
Britain is crap at being entrepreneurial because (a) it's a risk averse country, and (b) the stigma of failure is so high that if you fail you're considered to be a loser. Entrepreneurism is a word that has been stolen by people who don't understand it. The truth is that people who are entrepreneurial take risks, and risk is something that is un-British, and if you're successful with it they'll hate you for it.
In the early 21st century, Smit became a Social Enterprise Ambassador. Social enterprises use a business to address a social or environmental need. The Social Enterprise Ambassadors programme is led by the Social Enterprise Coalition and is supported by the Office of the Third Sector, part of the UK government's Cabinet Office.
Supplemental Security Income
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a United States government means-tested welfare program that provides cash assistance and health care coverage (i.e., Medicaid) to people with low-income and limited assets who are either aged 65 or older, blind, or disabled (children included). Although administered by the Social Security Administration, SSI is funded from the U.S. Treasury general funds, not the Social Security trust fund. SSI was created in 1974 to replace federal-state adult assistance programs that served the same purpose, but was administered by the State agencies and received criticism for lacking consistent eligibility criteria throughout the United States. The restructuring of these programs was intended to standardize the eligibility requirements and level of benefits. The new federal program was incorporated into Title XVI (Title 16) of the Social Security Act. Today the program provides benefits to approximately eight million Americans.
Information Technology Services Agency
Information Technology Services Agency (ITSA) was an executive agency of the United Kingdom Department of Social Security (subsequently the Department for Work and Pensions) which was set up in 1991 to "help create and deliver an active modern social security service, which encourages and enables independence and aims to pay the right money at the right time". ITSA ceased to exist in 2000, following the outsourcing of the majority of its functions and staff to Electronic Data Systems (EDS).
Social programs in the United States
The Social Security program mainly refers to the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program, and possibly the unemployment insurance program. Retirement Insurance Benefits (RIB), also known as Old-age Insurance Benefits, are a form of social insurance payments made by the U.S. Social Security Administration paid based upon the attainment old age (62 or older).
Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018
The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 is an Act of the Scottish Parliament to allow for the devolution of aspects of the social security system to the Scottish Parliament as part of the devolution settlement agreed by the Smith Commission after the independence referendum in 2014.
Business Employment Services Training
Business Employment Services Training (BEST) is a welfare-to-work company in the United Kingdom. BEST is one of several companies that has a contract with the British government as part of the Work Programme - a workfare programme whereby unemployed individuals must work for their unemployment benefits.
RSA Insurance Group
RSA Insurance Group plc (trading as RSA, formerly Royal and Sun Alliance) is a British multinational general insurance company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. RSA has major operations in the UK & Ireland, Scandinavia and Canada and provides insurance products and services in more than 140 countries through a network of local partners. It has 17 million customers. RSA was formed by the merger of Sun Alliance and Royal Insurance in 1996.
Poverty in the United Kingdom
The persistence of high poverty rates in the UK is associated with the relatively low generosity of the welfare state. The UK social security system is characterised by a residual welfare state model based on the notion of market dominance and private provision. The state only intervenes to moderate extreme poverty and provide for basic needs, largely on a means-tested basis.
In 2017, inequality has been forecast to return to the levels of the Thatcher years. Torsten Bell of the Resolution Foundation, said: "[A] boom is slowing rapidly as inflation rises, productivity flatlines and employment growth slows. ... This time around it’s low- and middle-income families with kids who are set to be worst affected. This could leave Britain with the worst of both worlds on living standards – the weak income growth of the last parliament and rising inequality from the time Margaret Thatcher was in Downing Street. The prime minister’s focus on supporting just managing families is absolutely right."
Health and Social Care
In the UK, "Health and Social Care" (often abbreviated to "HSC" or "H&SC") is a term that relates to services that are available from health and social care providers. This is a generic term used to refer to the whole of the healthcare provision infrastructure, public and private sector. The English national provider of information about health and social care is the Health and Social Care Information Centre HSCIC. It can also refer to a range of vocational and academic courses which can be taken at various academic and vocational levels from GNVQ, A-Level, S/NVQ, to degrees. In Canada and the United-States, health and social care is frequently referred to as "Human Services"
Social security in Sweden
Social security in Sweden is one of the parts of the Swedish welfare system and consists of various social insurances handled by the National Agency for Social Insurance (Swedish; Försäkringskassan), and also welfare given out on a need basis by local municipalities. They are the main conduits for redistribution of approximately 48% of the Swedish GDP in the form of taxed income.
National Insurance Service
The National Insurance Service () was a Norwegian government agency responsible for social security.
Tax policy
National Insurance in the United Kingdom and Social Security in the United States are forms of social welfare funded outside their national income tax systems, paid for through worker contributions, something labeled a stealth tax by critics.
Social Security Institution
The Social Security Institution () is the governing authority of the Turkish social security system. It was established by the Social Security Institution Law No:5502, which was published in the Official Gazette No: 26173 on June 20, 2006. This brought five different retirement systems that affected civil servants, contractual paid workers, agricultural paid workers, and self-employed workers into a single retirement system offering equal actuarial rights and obligations.
Social Security Act 1991
As at January 2014, the SSA is administered by the Department of Social Services and the Attorney-General's Department.
Credit unions in the United Kingdom
Since October 2008 UK credit unions are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which protects savings in banks and similar institutions up to £85,000 (), covering about 98% of people; most members get their money back within a week.
Social care in England
In England, the social care workforce comprises over one and half million people. An estimated two thirds of the workforce work for some 25,000 employers in the private and voluntary sectors. The remaining third work in the statutory sector, largely for 150 local councils with personal social services responsibilities. Data on the social care workforce is collected and analysed by Skills for Care, the national workforce organization for adult social care in England. Data is collected on the social care workforce through Skills for Care's National Minimum Data Set (NMDS-SC).
Social Fund (UK)
The Social Fund in the UK was a form of welfare benefit provision payable for exceptional or intermittent needs, in addition to regular payments such as Jobseeker's Allowance or Income Support.
Social Security number
In the United States, a Social Security number (SSN) is a nine-digit number issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary (working) residents under section 205(c)(2) of the Social Security Act, codified as . The number is issued to an individual by the Social Security Administration, an independent agency of the United States government. Although its primary purpose is to track individuals for Social Security purposes, the Social Security number has become a "de facto" national identification number for taxation and other purposes.
National Health Insurance (British Virgin Islands)
The scheme is administered by the Social Security Board of the British Virgin Islands. The Deputy Director with responsibility for the scheme is Mr Roy Barry. The primary legislation relating to the scheme was implemented by amendments to the Social Security Act (Cap 266), and the subsidiary implementing legislation is the Social Security (National Health Insurance) Regulations, 2015.
Social security in Australia
Provides income support for people who suffer a long-term disability, which in the opinion of an assessor they will not recover from in the next two years, and which will render them unable to work or participate in a training activity enabling them to work. The basic rate for a single person is A$782.20 (as at March 2015); different rates apply to persons under 18 with no children, and to couples, married, de facto or in a same-sex relationship. The payment is income and assets-tested. However, if an applicant is permanently blind, they can receive DSP without income and assets tests, and without needing to prove any inability to work, etc. DSP can take a while to process, so as a temporary measure claimants are placed on another payment (e.g. Newstart with a medical certificate to cover the activity tests) while the payment is being assessed; once granted it is backdated to the claim date at the higher DSP rate.
Social Security Administration
The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability, and survivors' benefits. To qualify for most of these benefits, most workers pay Social Security taxes on their earnings; the claimant's benefits are based on the wage earner's contributions. Otherwise benefits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are given based on need.
Social accounting and audit
Social Audit Network (SAN) is perhaps the best known organisation in the UK delivering regular training and support to social enterprises and community enterprises.
Disability in the United Kingdom
A number of financial and care support services, commonly referred to as disability benefits are available. Incapacity Benefit and Income Support have been replaced firstly by Employment Support Allowance and subsequently by Universal Credit which are seen as less generous and more coercive. Social security benefit claimants with disabilities are 53% more likely to have their benefits sanctioned than claimant without disabilities. Disabled people complain about job centre staff not understanding their disability. Mark Atkinson of disability charity Scope said, “Punitive sanctions can be extremely harmful to disabled people, who already face the financial penalty of higher living costs. There is no clear evidence that cutting disabled people’s benefits supports them to get into and stay in work. Sanctions are likely to cause unnecessary stress, pushing the very people that the government aims to support into work further away from the jobs market.” In 2017 roughly 4,600 disabled claimants had their benefits incorrectly stopped because they did not attend interviews with good reason.
Social security
Social security is "any government system that provides monetary assistance to people with an inadequate or no income." In the United States, this is usually called welfare or a social safety net, especially when talking about Canada and European countries.
Social Enterprise UK
Social Enterprise UK (SEUK) (previously The Social Enterprise Coalition) is a community interest company founded in April 2002 in the United Kingdom. It functions as the national membership and campaigning body for the social enterprise movement in Britain.
Universal Credit
Universal Credit is a United Kingdom social security payment that is intended to simplify working-age benefits and to incentivise paid work. It is replacing and combining six means-tested benefits: income-based Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, and Income Support; Housing Benefit; and Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit.
British Union of Social Work Employees
The British Union of Social Work Employees (BUSWE) was a trade union representing social workers in the United Kingdom.
Economy of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is a developed country with social welfare infrastructure, thus discussions surrounding poverty tend to use a relatively high minimum income compared to developing countries. According to the OECD, the UK is in the lower half of developed country rankings for poverty rates, doing better than Italy and the US but less well than France, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and the Nordic countries. Eurostat figures show that the numbers of Britons at risk of poverty has fallen to 15.9% in 2014, down from 17.1% in 2010 and 19% in 2005 (after social transfers were taken into account).
Poverty is countered in United Kingdom with the welfare state. There have been protests over the recent welfare changes of introducing Universal Credit. The aim of the government was to simplify the welfare state. People have protested sanctioning of people on Universal Credit, as well as disabled people protesting changes.
Social Fund Commissioner
The Social Fund Commissioner was an office created under United Kingdom social security legislation in 1986 intended to be independent of the government department responsible for social security provision. The office-holder was appointed by the Secretary of State and was the head of the Independent Review Service, located in Birmingham, the headquarters of the Social Fund Inspectors of Great Britain. There was also a small inspectorate in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Social security in France
The "Allocation de Solidarité aux Personnes Agées" (solidarity allowance for the elderly) (ASPA) is a French state pension for elderly people, whether former employees or not, on low incomes. It replaced the multiple components of the minimum pension ("Minimum Vieillesse") from 1 January 2006.
To qualify for ASPA, the recipient must live in France or French territory, and meet age and financial need criteria.
Pension
Many countries offer state-sponsored retirement benefits, beyond those provided by employers, which are funded by payroll or other taxes. In the United States, the Social Security system is similar in function to a defined benefit pension arrangement, albeit one that is constructed differently from a pension offered by a private employer; however, Social Security is distinct in that there is no legally guaranteed level of benefits derived from the amount paid into the program.
Social Security (United States)
Obtaining a Social Security number for a child is voluntary. Further, there is no general legal requirement that individuals join the Social Security program unless they want or have to work. Under normal circumstances, FICA taxes or SECA taxes will be collected on all wages. About the only way to avoid paying either FICA or SECA taxes is to join a religion that does not believe in insurance, such as the Amish, Christian Science or a religion whose members have taken a vow of poverty (see IRS publication 517 and 4361). Federal workers employed before 1987, various state and local workers including those in some school districts who had their own retirement and disability programs were given the one-time option of joining Social Security. Many employees and retirement and disability systems opted to keep out of the Social Security system because of the cost and the limited benefits. It was often much cheaper to obtain much higher retirement and disability benefits by staying in their original retirement and disability plans. Now only a few of these plans allow new hires to join their existing plans without also joining Social Security. In 2004, the Social Security Administration estimated that 96% of all U.S. workers were covered by the system with the remaining 4% mostly a minority of government employees enrolled in public employee pensions and not subject to Social Security taxes due to historical exemptions.
General Social Care Council
After the formation of a Coalition government in 2010, the General Social Care Council was earmarked for abolition as part of a drive to reduce the number and cost of publicly funded organisations. On 31 July 2012 it closed, and the regulation of social workers was taken over by the Health Professions Council, which was renamed the Health and Care Professions Council to reflect its expanded role. The GSCC's sister organisations in the other countries of the United Kingdom – the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), the Care Council for Wales (in Welsh: "Cyngor Gofal Cymru") (CCW or CGC), and the Northern Ireland Social Care Council – continued to exist with their functions intact.
Social Security Agency (Northern Ireland)
The Social Security Agency is a government agency in Northern Ireland. It is a department within the Department for Communities (DfC), dealing with social security.
Jobcentre Plus
The Jobcentre Plus service (and its forerunners the Social Security office, Unemployment Benefit office and Jobcentre/Labour Exchange) have featured in all forms of popular culture, often depicted in a general way to suggest poverty or unemployment. In the 1980s in particular, the Social Security office was frequently used as shorthand for the British recession.
UK Cyber Security Forum
The UK Cyber Security Forum is a social enterprise spanning the United Kingdom, representing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK cyber sector. It is divided up into 20 regional cyber clusters which provide free membership and events for their members. It forms part of the UK cyber security community. The Forum has been praised by UK Government for helping to address the cyber skills gap faced by the U.K. The concept of providing regional cyber security clusters was then later supported and laid out by the U.K Government Cyber Security Strategy in late 2014.
Social Security (United States)
Although Social Security is sometimes compared to private pensions, the two systems are different in a number of respects. It has been argued that Social Security is an insurance plan as opposed to a retirement plan. Unlike a pension, for example, Social Security pays disability benefits. A private pension fund accumulates the money paid into it, eventually using those reserves to pay pensions to the workers who contributed to the fund; and a private system is not universal. Social Security cannot "prefund" by investing in marketable assets such as equities, because federal law prohibits it from investing in assets other than those backed by the U.S. government. As a result, its investments to date have been limited to special non-negotiable securities issued by the U.S. Treasury, although some argue that debt issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association and other quasi-governmental organizations could meet legal standards. Social Security cannot by law invest in private equities, although some other countries (such as Canada) and some states permit their pension funds to invest in private equities. As a universal system, Social Security generally operates as a pipeline, through which current tax receipts from workers are used to pay current benefits to retirees, survivors, and the disabled. When there is an excess of taxes withheld over benefits paid, by law this excess is invested in Treasury securities (not in private equities) as described above.
Association of Social Workers
The Association of Social Workers (ASW) was the main professional body for non-specialised social workers in the United Kingdom. It was established as the British Federation of Social Workers (BFSW) in 1935 and changed its name in 1951. From 1949 it opened its membership to all social workers and from 1951 promoted itself as the body to join to work towards a unified profession.
Social Security (United States)
To calculate the total benefits a retiree is eligible for, the average indexed monthly salary (AIME) is then divided into three separate salary brackets—each multiplied by a different benefit percentage. The benefits receivable (the so-called Primary Insurance Amount, PIA) are the sum of the salary in each bracket times the benefit percentages that apply to each bracket. The benefit percentages are set by Congress and so can easily change in the future. The "bendpoints", where the brackets change, are adjusted for inflation each year by Social Security. For example, in 2013 the first bracket runs from $1 to $791/month and is multiplied by the benefit percentage of 90%, the second salary bracket extends from $791 to $4,781/month is multiplied by 32%, the third salary bracket of more than $4,781/month is multiplied by 15%. Any higher incomes than the ceiling income are not FICA covered and are not considered in the benefits calculation or in determining the average indexed monthly salary, AIME. At full retirement age the projected retirement income amount (PIA) is the sum of these three brackets of income multiplied by the appropriate benefit percentages—90%, 32% and 15%. Unlike income tax brackets, the Social Security benefits are heavily biased towards lower salaried workers. Social Security has always been primarily a retirement, disability and spousal insurance policy for low wage workers and a very poor retirement plan for higher salaried workers who hopefully have a supplemental retirement plan unless they want to live on significantly less after retirement than they used to earn.
General Organization for Social Insurance
The General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) is a Saudi Arabian government agency concerned with social insurance in the country. GOSI is supervised by a board of eleven directors from government departments, employers and insured persons.
Saudi Example: calculations for the GOSI are based on earning of an employee (Basic Salary + Housing Allowance) of a particular Organization. Calculations are divided into 3 categories:
British Association of Social Workers
The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) is the largest professional association of registered social workers and qualified care managers in the United Kingdom. The association has a members' code of ethics that outlines best social work practice and works to support social workers and care managers through education and resources. Headquartered in Birmingham, BASW has regional offices in England (Birmingham), Northern Ireland (Belfast), Scotland (Edinburgh), Wales (Swyddfa Cymru) (Cardiff), and North Wales (Cymru Gogledd) (Colwyn Bay).
National Savings and Investments
National Savings and Investments (NS&I), formerly called the Post Office Savings Bank and National Savings, is a state-owned savings bank in the United Kingdom. It is both a non-ministerial government department and an executive agency of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Historically, the aim of NS&I has been to attract funds from individual savers in the UK for the purpose of funding the government’s public sector borrowing requirement (i.e., the funds in excess of taxation that the government requires to fund its expenditure). NS&I attracts savers through offering savings products with tax-free elements on some products, and a 100% guarantee from HM Treasury on all deposits.
Social pension
A social pension (also known as a non-contributory pension) is a regular cash transfer to older people. Eligibility is based on age and citizenship or residency, and almost always on means such as income, assets or other pension income. Over 100 countries in the world have some form of social pension, although design varies significantly. However, the social pension is among the guarantees of the social protection floor with ILO recommendation 202 (2012).
Social Fund (UK)
The Social Fund (UK) should not be confused with social funds in developing countries (sometimes also called Social Investment Fund, Social Fund for Development, Social Action Fund, National Solidarity Fund or Social Development Agency), or with the European Social Fund.
Social Security (United States)
A side effect of the Social Security program in the United States has been the near-universal adoption of the program's identification number, the Social Security number, as the "de facto" U.S. national identification number. The social security number, or SSN, is issued pursuant to section 205(c)(2) of the Social Security Act, codified as . The government originally stated that the SSN would not be a means of identification, but currently a multitude of U.S. entities use the Social Security number as a personal identifier. These include government agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service, the military as well as private agencies such as banks, colleges and universities, health insurance companies, and employers.
Social security in Scotland
Scotland has a comprehensive welfare state, providing social security in many aspects of welfare provision.