Home Service Rehabilitation

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 51, 1 June 1948, Page 5

Home Service Rehabilitation

Business Loans Now Available On Service The Rehabilitation Board has decided to extend immediate eligibility for certain types of business loans to discharged home servicemen of long service. This has been announced by the Minister of Rehabilita-

tion, Mr Skinner. Previously, discharged home servicemen have not been immediately eligible to obtain business establishment loans on the grounds of service alone, but have had to show some special circumstances, such as need to change vocation as a result of physical disability caused by their service. An alternative case for consideration has been the loss of an actual business owing to the serviceman’s having had to enter the forces.

The new “immediate eligibility” ruling applies to discharged home servicemen who have to their credit four years or more in the home forces, or three years including (1) any overseas service if the serviceman was at the time posted to an overseas unit, or (2) at least one month’s service overseas if the serviceman was not at the time posted to an overseas unit.

Loans -for which men in the above category will be able to apply are for setting up in business as tradesmen or fully qualified professional men in their own calling, including the purchase of existing businesses or working partnerships. Loans for such purposes will be forthcoming for the purchase of tools, equipment, plant, transport, goodwill, books and so on. They will be limited to £SOO each applicant, and the applicants will have to be at least 25 years of age.

Loans are still not available to discharged home servicemen wishing to engage in manufacturing, wholesaling or retailing businesses or in any licensed businesses or businesses dependent on rationed goods or im-

port licences. “It is felt,” said Mr Skinner, “that this new extension of a major rehabilitation benefit to men who served for long periods with the home defence forces in wartime will not react unfavourably on men who had long service overseas. There is in fact every reason to hope that it will have a beneficial effect on the community.” The Minister added that already men with similar home service were immediately eligible to apply for housing loan assistance on the grounds of their service as apart from other considerations.