PENSIONS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16268, 19 July 1918, Page 6

PENSIONS.

WHAT NEW ZEALAND IS PAYING. (SPECIAL TO "THB PRESS.") WELLINGTON, July 18. The annual value of the Now Zealand war pensions now amounts to £1,304,1-i3. Up to June 31st tho total number of soldiers' claims lodged was 15,810, and the total number of claims of dependants of soldiers was 7967 (not including children). Of that number the claims received during tho tnree months of the current financial year weie as follows April 1751, May 14S1, and Juno 1189. Tho now pensions granted iu New Zealand during the satuo threo months were as follows: — Annual No. value. April 1597 £53,432 "Vlav ... SB7 £61,4ik> June 1312 £92,224 Total ... 3496 £'212,091 This represents an average of £(59 per pension. That sum is mad© tin of:— Annual No. valuo. £ Soldiers' permanent pensions . ... 291 . 17,890 Widows' permanent pensions ... 110 13,704 Other dependants 321 9,804 Soldiers temporary pensions ••• 24385 197,552 Temporary pensions of dependants of soldiers ... 351 19,242 Total ... 3946 £242,091 (The details as telegraphed do not correspond with the totals.] The total number of pensions granted i since the commencement of the Act. in- ! eluding the above claims, amount to 20,<513, of the annual value of The total amount paid on acrount of war pensions Inst year was £515,383. Payments actually made in New Zealand (outsido of the amount being paid in Australia and London) were: — April ... ... £82,506 May ... ... £90,4<U2 June (returns incomplete) £90,C00 Total £202,967 It is estimated that the amount will considerably exceed £1,000,000 by tho end of the year. In July, for the first week, 265 claims •were lodged, and in the second week 208 claims. In Australia, -with a population about five times that of New Zealand, the total annual value of the war pensions (as published in a cable message recently) was £3,653,853. At tho rate of our pensions on a population basis, Ausr tralia would be paying £0,500,000. The difference is probably mainly explained by the fact that in New Zealand the schedule pension of a totally-disabled soldier is £2 per week, whilst in Australia it is £1 10s a week. Tho maximum for the widow of a soldier (a private) in New Zealand is £1 10s a week (that is without children), and for a widow with children £2 a week. In Australia the maximum is £1 a -week. For the year ending March 31st last, the following amounts were paid out by the Pensions Department:— Old age pensions ' ... £643.177 Widows' pensions ... £67,952 Maori war pensions ... £ t "0,734 Miners' pensions ... £13,275 War pensions ... £515,447 Total ... £1,280,585 It. is estimated that the expenditure under the above heads trill exceed £2,000,000 by the end of the year.