Department of Health and Social Security

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Department of Health and Social Security was a ministry of the British Government in existence for twenty years from 1968 until 1988, and was headed by the Secretary of State for Social Services.

Until 1968 the social security responsibilities had been split between the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance, and the health responsibilities by the Ministry of Health.

In 1988 the department was split again into a separate Department of Health and the Department of Social Security.

In 2001 the Department for Work and Pensions was formed from the Department of Social Security, absorbing the employment functions which had previously been the responsibility of the Department for Education and Employment since the dissolution of the Department of Employment in 1995.

Despite it being abolished for some twenty years, the initials 'DHSS' are still used by the general public to describe the Department of Work & Pensions or some of the benefits ot provides (such as Income Support).

[edit] In popular culture

• The initials "DHSS" are recited several times by singer George Michael in Wham!'s 1983 hit single Wham Rap!, a tongue-in-cheek celebration of wilful unemployment.
• Birmingham reggae band UB40 derived their name from the document issued by the DHSS to those claiming unemployment benefit.
• The first album by Half Man Half Biscuit was called "Back in the DHSS", a play on the Beatles album "Back in the USSR"

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