SOCIAL SECURITY FUND

Chronicle (Levin), 22 August 1947, Page 6

SOCIAL SECURITY FUND

"Tlie totai expenditure out of the t'und last year was £3(5,825,000 which was ajiproximately £1,000,000 in cxcess of the Budget cstimate. Revenue into the i'und from the social securiL} charge, liowever, was aiso in exccss oi the estiniute and more than ofl'sei 'he increased exjieiutiture. As proxido.l lor in last year's Budget £18,000,000 was transferred froui the Consolidauid Fund. As svas inteiuled, the net resuli of ihe year's operations 011 the fand 1 increased the worlcing balance which was slightlv over -£5,000,000 at the ,*nd of the year. The contribution from the t'onaolidated Fund for the current vear has been fixed at £1(5,000,000 to ensure the stabilitv of the fund by maintain ing approximately the levei reached at Mdrcli 31 last. "The followiug figures gii e the overall picture of tlie fund for the curreut year ( 1 947-4S) Expenditure Monetary benelits other than famih beneiits £19,3(58,000, family beneflu £13.195,000, medical benelits £(5,493,000 administration exjrenses £775,000, enier genev benelits £908,000; totai £40,039,000. Receipts Social security charge £23,700,000, miscellaneouri receipts £27,000, transfei frcm Consolidated Fund £1(5,000,000; totai £39.727.000. Increase of Five- Shillings "On account of the increased costs arising out of the wage adjustmenti and the cancellation of certain sun sidies, it is proposed. to increase the basic rates of social security benelit.from October 1 next. "All adult beueliciaries, inc-ludinj. age benelits, widows' benelits, invalids benefits, miners' benelits, sickness bene fit-s and unemployment benefits wid liave the basic rate of benelit increased from a isook to £2 5s a wcclv. Jn

cases where tlie benefit includes portion pavable 011 account of a wife who is not otiierwise qualilied to receive a bene lit in her owu right, iier portion wili also be raised by 5s a week. "Invalid beueliciaries uiuler 20 years of age will receive £1 15s a week in s|ead of the former rate of £1 10s a week. "Bickness and unemployment beneficiaries under 20 years of age will liav. ihe, basic rates of tlieir benelits in croased from £1 a week to £1 5s a week. "The benelit pavable in respect of orphan children, which is now 15s 9(1 a week, will be raised to £1 a week. The existing universal family benelit of 10s a week for every child under 10 years of age will be maintained as •at present. "The estimated additional cost 0.': Increasing these benefits for the remaining six months of this financial year is £1,000,000. War Pensions In regard to war pensions, tlie majoi portion of the ex-sbrvicemen suH'ering ininor disabilities for wliich they ari rect-iving war pensions, are followiug uonual employment, and will benelit in tiuy increase in the general wage levcl. The Govenieient is concerned, liowever, about the peimioner whose disabilitv is so severe as to prevent hini from {f cepting suitable employment, and is obliged to applv for economic pensiou to supplement his disablement pensiou. Hitherto, the economic pensiou for an ex-serviceman has been £1 15s a week, and it is proposed to increase that rate to £2 5s a week. A single man who is totally disable-1 will tlierefore receive £8 a week disablement pensiou plus £2 5s a week economic pensiou. making a totai pensiou of £0 5s a weeit. "A totally disablcd married man with a wife and two children, will re_*eive: — Disablement pensiou £3 per week, economic pensiou £2 5s, niother 's aliowance £1 U's, children 's aliowance (2) £f; totai £7 15s, as against £7 5s a week formerly. "The war widow who -in under 40 years of age ai.d wlio has never had a child will have the basic rate of her war ponsion increased from £2 a week to £2 5s u week. If siie is unable to supplement her income by accepting--.uilable eniploymenl, she mav claim in addition an economic pensiou of £1 a week, making a totai pensiou of £8 5s a week. "War widows over 40 years of age or widows who have* ce.ased to qualify for a family benefit or mothers' aliowance will have the basic rate of benelit increased from £2 a week to £2 5s a week and in addition the economic pensiou payable in cases where they are unable to work increased from £1 to £1 5s a week, making a totai war ponsion oi" "^3 10s a week. "War widows with depeudeut children in tlie houto will receive an increase in the basic rate of war ponsion from £2 a week to £2 5s a weeiv and iu

addition tlie economic pensiou is in ereascd from £1 to £1 us a' week. "Thus a war widow with two depen dent children will receive a basie pi*n siou of £2 5s a week, a mothers' aliowance of £1 10s a week, an ceonoiuie ponsion of £-1 5s a week and a children 's aliowance (2) of £1 a week, making a totai of £(> a week. "Tlie basic rate of war ponsion for Ihe wholly dependent widowed motlier of a deceased serviceman is increased from £2 a week to £2, 5s a week ami her economic ponsion is also increase 1 from £1 a week to £1 5s a week, making a totai ponsion of £8 l"s a weelt. "The partially dependent widowed motlier of a deceased serviceman wili receive an increase in the basic rate oi her pension from £1 a week to £1 5s a

week, 111 addition to which she may have !• 11 economic pensiou of £1 a week, making a totai pension of £2 5s a week. "Tlie basic rate of war veterans' ailowanees, both for ihe war veterau and his wife, if married, will be increased from £2 a week to £2 5s a week. - "All incveases 111 war pensions and war ' veterans' a'.lowonces will comuieneo from October 1 next. "The estimated eost of these in-i-rcases for the remaining six months of this financial year will be £140,000." MR. HOLLAND 'S COMMENT The only audible coiiunenl froui the Oppositiou benches came from Mr. Ilollaud who said. aftcr Mr. Nash lia-i liuished reading aiul the applause had died nway : "Dull, dreary and disappointing. ' '