The Department of Health and Social Security (commonly known as the DHSS) was a ministry of the

British government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

in existence for twenty years from 1968 until 1988, and was headed by the

Secretary of State for Social Services A secretary, administrative assistant, executive assistant, personal secretary, or other similar titles is an individual whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, program evalu ...

History

In 1953, the Ministry of Pensions and the Ministry of National Insurance were merged to create the

Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian mi ...

. In 1966, the Supplementary Benefits Commission (part of the

National Assistance Board The National Assistance Board was established by the National Assistance Act 1948 ( 11 & 12 Geo. 6. c. 29) and abolished in by the Ministry of Social Security Act 1966. It was preceded by the Unemployment Assistance Board (known from 1941 as t ...

) was merged with the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance to form the new Ministry of Social Security, as part of the

Ministry of Social Security Act 1966 The Ministry of Social Security Act 1966 (c. 20) or the Supplementary Benefit 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 tr ...

. In 1968, the Ministry of Social Security and the Ministry of Health were dissolved and their functions merged into a new Department of Health and Social Security by an

Order in Council An Order in Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom, this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council ('' ...

which came into operation on 1 November 1968. Although the department was titled 'Department of Health and Social Security', the title of the cabinet minister with responsibility for the department was 'secretary of state for social services'. In 1988 the department was split again into a separate

Department of Health A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their o ...

and the

Department of Social Security A ministry of social security or department of social security is a government entity responsible for social security affairs. It may be a ministry office, a department, or, as in the United States, a nominally independent agency. Notable ones ar ...

. In 2001 the

Department for Work and Pensions The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for welfare spending, welfare, pensions and child maintenance ...

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 The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) was a United Kingdom government department between 2001 and 2007, responsible for the Education in England, education system (including higher education and adult learning) as well as children's se ...

since the dissolution of the

Department of Employment The secretary of state for employment was a position in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. In , it was merged with secretary of state for education to make the secretary of state for education and employment. In , the employment functions were h ...

in 1995.

Ministers

* Minister of State for Health * Minister of State for Social Security

Impact

Even two and a half decades after its abolition, the initials "DHSS" continue to be used by the general public to describe the

or some of the benefits it provides (such as

Income Support Income Support is an income-related benefit in the United Kingdom for some people who are on a low income, but have a reason for not actively seeking work. Claimants of Income Support may be entitled to certain other benefits, for example, Housin ...

References in popular culture

Half Man Half Biscuit Half Man Half Biscuit are an English rock band, formed in 1984 in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Known for their satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs, the band comprises lead singer and guitarist Nigel Blackwell, bassist and singer Neil Cr ...

the notable cynico-rock group from The Wirral, UK, named their first album " Back in the DHSS" as a pun on the earlier single by

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

(" Back in the USSR") and a nod to the growing unemployment under the Thatcher administration of the 1980s. *

UB40 UB40 are an English reggae band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the Grammy ...

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

group from

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, whose first album was released in 1980) was named after the form issued by the DHSS to those claiming unemployment benefit, the full name of which was Unemployment Benefit form 40. * British group

Wham! Wham! were an English pop duo formed in Bushey in 1981 consisting of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They were one of the most successful pop acts during the 1980s, selling more than 30 million certified records worldwide from 1982 to ...

mention the "DHSS" in their song " Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)". * Punk poet

Attila the Stockbroker John Baine (born 21 October 1957), better known by his stage name Attila the Stockbroker,Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 208 is an English punk poet, multi instrumentalist musician and songwriter. He ...

's poem "Russians in the DHSS" satirized the Cold War threat of the Soviet Union in Thatcher-era Britain. * In '' The Young Ones'' episode "

Bomb A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...

" Rick attempts to write a threatening telegram to the

British Government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

through a DHSS office which he mistakes for the post office. * In

Yes Minister ''Yes Minister'' is a British political satire sitcom written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn. Comprising three seven-episode series, it was first transmitted on BBC2 from 1980 to 1984. A sequel, ''Yes, Prime Minister'', ran for 16 episodes f ...

it is mentioned by one of the characters, when sitting in a round-table meeting in relation to equal opportunities for women.

References

Health and Social Security Ministries established in 1968 1968 establishments in the United Kingdom 1988 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Ministries disestablished in 1988 {{UK-gov-stub