Pension Record - what does this mean / signify? - [DEAD]

[Matlock1418]

On a number of PC there is an ink-stamped box with [DEAD] - usually with a year and initials in ink script

Have previously seen this on PCs and when it appeared it was commonly interpreted as the dependant, e.g. a widow, is "Dead" ... Often this previously appeared to be a correct interpretation {but sometimes with a year difference between death date and date initialled in the box}

But ... in the case illustrated here - as it is a pension for a child dependant {who had reached 16y - 5.7.26} it looks more like the claim is "Dead" - 11.8.26

So what you good folks think? - Your thoughts on what [DEAD] really refers to on this card {and other PCs}

I'm starting to think more like the second explanation for both/all such [DEAD] scenarios - The claim is DEAD???

:-) M

Edited 1 March , 2020 by Matlock1418
addit

[Matlock1418]

No previous takers for a reply but have looked at a few more PC with [DEAD] - many seem to have a child apparently becoming 16 in the date/year recorded next to the [DEAD] stamp

 

In particular - with the kind assistance of family who knew a bit more about the general circumstances [many thanks to them for sharing their info.] - I therefore also offer up for consideration/discussion the following - which was [DEAD] in 1931:

Image courtesy of WFA

 

Apparently known:

• The widow, Florence, remarried before 1931 and lived on after that date - so it couldn't be the potential death of the widow before/in 1931 {not the case} that made it [DEAD] - [she would have much earlier lost her Widow's pension at remarriage]
• The youngest child, Doris Lily, reached her 16th birthday in 1931 and she lived a lot longer after that - so not her potential death before/in 1931 {not the case} that made it [DEAD]

QED = Looks like daughter reaching 16 in 1931 did however kill off any remaining pension claim and thus make it [DEAD] that year - Despite there being no deaths of a relevant dependant = The claim is [DEAD] for this reason in this case - Age 16 of child.

 

Is this the only reason for [DEAD] stamped on a PC???

Obviously all claimants are now physically dead [and any claim with them too] - however previously active pensions could possibly/probably have had their claims administration transferred to another system/papers and those newer ones are now perhaps marked there as [DEAD] instead - but that is not something we can deduce/confirm from a PC I think.

 

A singular use or a multi-use stamp?? - certainly many cases of PC seen stamped with dates in the mid-1920s & 1930s which would seem to fit in with children reaching 16

[though in some cases the year and initialled dating dating next to the stamp is many years after the child reached 16 - 5 years has been seen - e.g. child 16 in 1928 but card marked [DEAD 1933] - though not seen on the card the child may perhaps have had a discretionary 5 year extension of pension awarded to 1933 I guess {as Education Boards and the like apparently could recommend these} - down to Pensions as to whether or awarded or not I suppose]

 

I think we also need any further example(s) of just a lonesome widow, or a parent, and their death and a [DEAD] on such a PC {there appear to be many} to further explore {preferably with a back-story} as to any potential additional/alternative reason(s) for such a [DEAD] stamping.

 

In fact {even without backstories} I have seen so many PC with a singular claimant and a 1920s / 1930s [DEAD] stamp - so I think it is probably a largely 1920s / 1930s feature - used regardless of whether a death has or hasn't occurred - either way = the Claim is [DEAD]

 

Addendum:  There are also many hand-written rectangular boxes with [DEAD and an alpha-numeric entry] on PC - fuller study/interpretation of those would probably be useful too

= still plenty of scope for under-grad/post-grad/other study of these PC it would seem [I've probably not got enough years left ;-) :-/]

Edited 2 May , 2020 by Matlock1418
Addendum

[PRC]

I had the "joy" of working in several Civil Service Departments during a part of the 1980's/1990's, including one that was a successor to the Ministry of Pensions. Part of the work included the dredded weeding exercises - this was all pre-computerisation at the local office level. Some of the files went back to the 1930's and 1940's. From memory the standard term for when any current activity on the file was completed - whether it was a claim, review, enquiry or check - was PA plus date written on the front cover in a grid provided. The PA I seemed to remember stood for "Put Away". There would then be a "BF" date for the next routine action - which in the parlance stood for "Bring Forward". Both Put Away and Bring Forward were instructions to the filing clerks.

 

If the action was triggered by a death, then the file would be marked "Died xx/xx/xx" in a large comments box and a date for future action added that required all the paperwork to be considered for destruction. The whole filing and retrieval process, frequently involving tens of thousands of files, was supplemented by various coloured tags and tapes to make it easier for the filing clerks to do their job.

 

Benefit and Pension Claims that were no longer being paid or had been declined were dormant. Enquiries that had been completed were just that - if not they had a BF action. Of the top of my head I can't remember anything claim related that was described as "Dead". (But that was nearly 30 years ago!)

 

I'm not saying the Ministry of Pensions followed the same process between the wars - I certainly hadn't seen anything like those cards in my time with those Government Departments and part of the time I was on loan to the War Pensions department. However it did bring a small smile to my face when I first saw the pension ledger cards on Ancestry and saw the use of PA and BF in the "Other Action" column.

 

It's not a definative answer and apologies if it's not relevant.

 

Hope that helps,

Peter

 

 

 

[ss002d6252]

10 minutes ago, PRC said:

The PA I seemed to remember stood for "Put Away". There would then be a "BF" date for the next routine action - which in the parlance stood for "Bring Forward". Both Put Away and Bring Forward were instructions to the filing clerks.

Yep, former civil servant here as well - the BF and PA were one of the first things I spotted. I cross referenced some of them againnt PIN26 files and I'm happy that they are the standard usage of BF and PA.

 

The problem with these cards & ledgers is that they , in general, stopped being updated from 1922 ish - around the time that regions seem to have started to be centralised again. The cards/ledgers capture a snapshot in time that is primarily from 1915 through to around 1922, after that they get hit & miss. After that the main notes seem to be made in the award files themselves.

 

Quote

The whole filing and retrieval process, frequently involving tens of thousands of files, was supplemented by various coloured tags and tapes to make it easier for the filing clerks to do their job.

Posh - we didn't have anything like that to assist our filing !

 

Craig

[Matlock1418]

Peter & Craig

Thank you - interesting insights