| Description | Files containing applications for relief and correspondence relating to claims both between the Area Public Assistance Officer and the applicant, and the Public Assistance Officer and headquarters or other official bodies.
These files contain sensitive information about the applicants (and in some cases the applicant's children), and are covered by the Data Protection Act. Therefore only files which contain information about deceased individuals or individuals born over 100 years ago will be open to general access. Files have been titled with the applicant's name and date of birth, and therefore only catalogue entries for open records will appear in the public catalogue.
The original reference number for the file is given in the Alt Ref No field.
Application forms record similar information to the Poor Law General Registers, i.e.
- Applicant's name, age, date of birth, residence, application date, birthplace, occupation, marital status, religion, disability, parents details, marriage details;
- Dependents or other relatives living with the applicant, and family not living with the applicant.
- Income details.
- Length of residence in present house and previous residences
- First visiting report by the Public Assistance Officer.
- Result of application (the Officer and Committee's decisions)
- A record of notices being sent for applicants outside Aberdeen County.
- A record of change of circumstances.
There is also a declaration signed by the applicant.
In 1948 cases are largely transferred over to the National Assistance Board and the files closed, although there are a few Aberdeen County Welfare and Children's Department Files from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s in this set.
A number of different reference numbers are noted on the files and applications, including the Aberdeen County Head Office reference and a registration number. The start of these references indicates the category of claimant: 'O' is ordinary claims, 'MD' are those categorised as mentally defective, claims from the blind are 'B', 'AB' are claims from able bodied, and 'S' are stranger or suspense claims. These reference numbers are noted in the description for each catalogue record, so if you have a reference number for an individual from another source you may be able to find them with this number.
Where it is noted on the outside of the file that a person's settlement is outside Aberdeen County this has been recorded in the catalogue record. |