National Assistance Board

Mar28

Promotion and transfer to the NAB

Little did I know what I had let myself into! Things Agriculture, things farming are very unlike things people and all their concerns. Spending a week with a new colleague learning the ropes simply was not enough. I am in lodgings during the week and I have two great manuals to digest.

What was not apparent to me at the time was that the colleagues patch was a nice village one and I was to take over area adjacent to Brighton with lots of one room flats etc.

I append a report written at the end of the National assistance Board:

https://fredhughes4.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=445&action=edit&message=6

It was a particularly bad time in my life. I had built a  house in Oxford in which we were very comfortable and it suited all our needs. However I was anxious for promotion and, as was quite normal in the civil service, I had to move. Eileen my wife had always lived in Oxford, and her Mother lived there, it therefore took a long time to find a house in Brighton which suited her.

I, in the meanwhile, was travelling down to Brighton early on the Monday morning, spending the next five days working and sleeping in bed and breakfast. Then on Friday evening back in Oxford.

Those five working days were split between office days and visiting days.  Visiting days were days when I would visit applicants,

During my day visiting I would meet those who deserved my sympathy, particularly the retired or ill and those who were unemployed and making little effort to work. In determining whether to give assistance or how much often needed the discretion that was part of my job.

I quote:

“This aspect of the national assistance for its work is difficult to assess there seems little doubt that the boards of visitors provided a lifeline too many people who would otherwise have been entirely missed by the other social services.”

I began my assessment by reference to the number of people in the household; allowance was made for each person by reference to age. Food , household services and clothing, plus the rent.  Income from pensions or benefits would usually cover the first items, leaving the rent for which I would make an allowance.  Some cases were straightforward. Others were not. This is the point where I used my discretion.  The rent it may be high and beyond what we consider the reasonable one.  Only in very special circumstances would I allow more.  If there were a large number of children the assessment would exceed the amount of earnings that the applicant was likely to earn.  In which case I would consider whether to  reduce the payment.

I was unfortunately allocated to a district close to the Brighton border which was made up of very large houses let into small flats; large numbers of which were owned by one landlord who’s rents were excessive and he tried to get them out in order to be able to sell them for greater profit.  My colleagues in more rural districts would have no need to apply discretion.

After a few years I was given a job to the charge of the office callers who often pleaded for immediate help.  No one having visited where they lived. It was necessary to apply judgment before making any payment. Another reason for discretion. I had four staff who initially interviewed and a cashier.  There were often arguments and sometimes it was necessary for me to call for the police.

I had a visit by someone in November 2012 and she tells me that she works there but as the Ministry of Wotks and Pensions.

4 Later Memories

Feb4

I am a man in a very great hurry. A man who relied upon others to reveal past events.
At the age of 83 and into my second marriage I almost forget what happened during my first marriage. That has disappeared into the clouds. Now I find my more recent occurrences are disappearing too.
A man who hardly exists! Except in the memory of others. But as most others are no longer here that past has gone. Snow lies on the ground and I have cleared it from the drive. Now was that yesterday, last week or 40 years ago?

It is a privelage to live to old age. A lot of people don’t last that long.

This entry was posted on February 4, 2011. 2 Comments

Constructing the house

Oct29

Soon after the war the housing situation was bad. As our wages were poor we found it difficult to obtain a mortgage. We postponed the wedding until we can find accommodation. Meanwhile we saved hard and worked hard. I did hedging, draining and fencing during the weekends. Eventually we were able to buy a piece of land and build our dream home.

Employing an architect and also a builder proved too expensive. Most of our savings went toward buying the land. I therefore drew up the plans and obtained planning permission and I then supervised tradesmen to construct a house.
I constructed a small trailer with a canvas top and added it shelving. I cut a hole in the hedge row and sold sweets and fizzy drinks at weekends to passers-by. I could not afford a professional builder to build the house, so I decided to do it all this myself. I drew the plans and supervised the tradesmen.
The site in Old Road Headington, Oxford had a building on it which had been used as a holiday chalet. Previously a Quarry.

http://www.headington.org.uk/history/misc/quarries.htm

This consisted of a round room with the steeple roof and was known as the Round House. I demolished this because it was not habitable.It did however provide the name for my new house.

It was also necessary to pull down A very small disused church.

St Ebba’s Priory.*

http://www.headington.org.uk/history/famous_people/stansfeld.htm

Lessons were to be learnt as I went along.

The first person I employed asked for money in advance and failed to carry out his contract. I was then lucky to find a “Jan” who was a Polish bricklayer who employed a number of men. I came to an agreement with him that payment would be made when all the bricklaying  was completed and within two months. I made him aware that there will be no money available unless this condition was met. Arrangements had been made for a mortgage from the local authority. The payments were to be made in three tranches, the first of which was when the brickwork had been completed up to roof level. I could stave off payment for the bricks and mortar for the two months required for the bricklaying. Luck was with me, the weather fine and Jan honoured the agreement .From this point on there was always money in hand for the next stage of building. Carpenters, electricians and a plasterers plus their materials could be paid. My calculations at the time proved that the cost of my chalet bungalow was almost half that of which would have had to be paid to a builder. I realise during the process of building that it will be possible to include a separate flat. I installed an extra bathroom and kitchen on the upper floor. My financial worries were solved; my income from the flat paid for my mortgage the and I had money in hand to pay for a new van. We had been patient but now Eileen and I who could live together in our new home.

 

The Garden

The garden