Department of Health and Social Security


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.

History

In 1953, the Ministry of Pensions and the Ministry of National Insurance were merged to create the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance. In 1966, the Supplementary Benefits Commission 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].
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 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 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.

Ministers

Even two and a half decades after its abolition, the initials "DHSS" continue to be used by the general public to describe the Department for Work and Pensions or some of the benefits it provides.