INCREASED WIDOWS' BENEFITS

Chronicle (Levin), 6 April 1946, Page 7

INCREASED WIDOWS' BENEFITS

-Fress Associziion

ALSO FOR WIVES OF DISABLED SERVICEMEN

By Telegraph—

. WELLINGTON, April 5. The Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) aiuiounced toiught that, witn the coming into force of the nev* family iienelits legisiation from April 1, 19-10, ^oiaething more was being done for the widowed mother ixi the home with dependent children; also for the wives o. disabled servicemen who have dependon t children to care for. Further, i: . had beeu decided to increase tlie benelu of the civil widow who had never had a child and also to increase the lncoinc exemption of the civil widow who had had a child or children, but now had no depcndent children under the age of 10 years. The following summarises the pro posed widened scoyie of the war pen sioiis: — War widows with depcndent children : At present war widows with dependout children receive, in addition to the basic pension of £2 a week, an addition al 10s a week, together iwitli 10s Od a week in respect of eaeli dependenichild. An econoniic pension up Lo £1 fis a week may also be paid. Tlierefore a widow with two depcndent children may receive a total pension of £4 16s a week.' It is proposed under tho now scalo to add to the basic pension of £2 a week not 10s as formerly, but 30s as tlie mother 's allowance to war widow who have care of a depcndent child o. children. In addition to tlie 30s a week tlie inotlier's allowance, an econornic pension up to 20s a week may be jiaid while Ihe pension pavable in respect of eaeli depcndent child will lio stabilised at 10s a week, instead of 10s Od a week as formerly. Wives of disabled servicemen with depcndent children: Jlitlicrlo the rati of war pension pavable to the vvife oi ; totally disabled ex-sorvieeman was 20 a week, while the rate pavable in ie spect of eaeli child was 10s 6d a week It is now proposed, instead of tlie pres ent wife's pension of £1 per week where Lliere are dependent children in the home, that a mother 's allowance of 30s a week will be paid. The pension of eac.h dependent child will be stabilised at 10s a week, instead of the former rate of 10s 6d. It will be seen, tlierefore, that in the case of an ex-service-man's wife with one dependent child, her net gain will be 9s 6d a week. If she has two dependent children, the net gain will be 9s a week. It has been decided that these in creased rates of benefit and pension, in cluding mothers' allowances, will oper ate as from April 1, 1946. In cases o. disabled soldiers and their wives wher. there are no children, the present bene fit will continue to be paid. Service Allowances Mr. Fraser also announced that tio pav and allowances of each of the thre. Service departments are governed by a special scale applicable to the particu lar Service, and administrative actioi; is now being taken to introduce the re vised scales of pay for the Army, Navy and Air Force, and in the ncar futurc when the new scales are settled, the. v

will be applied with retrospective effeci from April 1, 1946. When the new-Ser vice rates of pay have been determined the family benefit as provided in cln Social Security legisiation of last ses sion will also lie paid with retrospective eil'ect from April 1, 1946. It had also been decided, said tlie Prime Minister, to amend the civi. widow 's pension as follows: — Civil widows without dependent chi! dren: Formerly a widow who had neve had a child received under the Sociai Security Act a basic benefit of £1 lUs a week, with other allowable income of £ ]()s a week, inaking a luaxiniuin pennis hil)le income of £3 a week, while a widow who had children that were m longer dependent 011 her received n basic beneiit of £2 a week, with lluright to have income from other sources of £1 a week, inaking the lnaxiniuui per missible income in her case £3 a week lt was now proposed in botli tvpes of cases to set the basic rate . of tlu widow 's beneiit at £2 a week, wk. other income allowed of £1 19s a week inaking the maxiniuin permissibie in conie t£3 19s a week. Civil widows with dopoudent chi' dren: De])eudent cliildren in this clas.of case are already provided for at tlm rate of 10s a week under the family provisions of the Social Securitv Act lt is felt, however, that some addilional beneiit should be allorded tlie mother ot these cliildren. This will be reflected in the increased beneiit it is proposed lo pav in her own right. The present basic rate of beneiit for a widow with dependent. children is £2 a week, with a family beneiit of 19s a week for eaci. dependent child. Provision was previ ously made for the paymcut in specia!

cases of a supplementary beneiit up 10 £1 a week. It is now proposed to do something more for the widowed mother in a home with depiendent children to care for. To the basic beneiit of £2 a week it is proposed to add in ali cases a mother 's allowance of £1 5s a week, inaking a total of £3 5s a week to every widowed mother with dependent child or children. In addition, she will icceive a family beneiit of 10s a week foi each dependent. "These adjustments, ' ' said the Priiue Minister, "will operate as from April J of the present year. Validating legisiation will be 4introdueed during the eomiiig session of Parliament. "The principal purpose of the amendments is to recognise the iinportauce oi the mother to our national life and tlugreat contribution she malces to om future well-being by the care and nurture of our children. For this service she should be free to the maxiinum possible from liuaneial worry. ' '