EXSERVICEMEN'S WINDFALL

Chronicle (Levin), 15 October 1946, Page 7

EXSERVICEMEN'S WINDFALL

■Press Association

INCREASES ANNOUNCED LEAVE PAY PRTVILEGES

By Telegraph—

WELLINGTON, Oct. 14. A deGision of importance reached by the Government over the weekend, was announced today hy the Minister of Defence, Hon. F. Jones. "Prior to April 19, 1944," the Minister said, "personnel returning from overseas service were granted a standard discharged leave of 28 days on fun pay plus dependent's allowances and a suhsistence allowance of 3s per day. The leave schedule from 1944 onwards hecame somewhat inadequate and consequent upon the privileges granted to troops arriving on furlough from tne Middle East, a new policy of leave entitlement was applied with effect from April, 1944. AU those servicemen returning after that date received leave with pay, dependent's allowances, a suhsistence allowance of 4s 6d per day at the rate of two days' per month oi service, with a minimum of 28 days and maximum of 91 days. "It has now been decided that an servicemen having served overseas ana having been discharged or placed on indefinite leave hefore April, 1944, will be granted a direct payment of suhsistence allowance at 4s 6d a day, a war service gratuity in lieu of the number of additional days to which they are now entitled. Dependent's allowances will also be payable. "It will be appreciated that an enormous amount of work is involved in going back over the fifst 4J- years of war and ascertaining what is due under the new leave scale to every serviceman discharged during that period. The war service gratuity work is practlcally completed now and the staffs m the three service departments will be able to devote their attention to the leave adjustment. Each serviceman coneerned will be required to apply on a special form of application which will shortly be distributed to Post Ofjfices. An ahnouncement will be made later when these forms are available." The Minister added that the additional suhsistence allowance of ls 6a per day would now be paid for all leave eamed for "overseas services" since the beginning of hostilities. The Minister again stressed the i'act that the task of making this leave adjustment was exceptionally heavy. It was probable the work would not be completed until June of next year.