OLD AGE PENSIONS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 667, 18 November 1909, Page 11

OLD AGE PENSIONS.

- ANNUAL,DEPARTMENTAL' REPORT.' .annual"' repbr t-of; th e?' Old Age .Department yrluclihas •'" >eea' to .Parliament, ; states that : on -Macch : 31 there ' Wfere. 14,8 m .pensioners, an'increase ;ot '827 on .fast [ year. • _iS ot•'.■ only '• had-, the* increase been in..actual numbers^'but also in'the percentage •'.Ot pensioners 'to 'the "population eligible : :• by. "S? ana: 'residence. ■. 'i'lte percentage of. pen- ■ sioners to ,tho eligible by ago only •mV 1 ■ ® o r-' ce Pt/..''Las.t ycar-'it;.wu3V2'J, per cent. of ' the yhoic^drawing^h^iull'pension of ,€20.. Four (taw tuc minimum pension of ,fil, 'l'Uere are : stijl.;oa:.tho ~loli :2173 'outl of thoW-'iien-■ .eionei'3 .who wore, admitted in. the first three .Js??}", B'®*8'®* Pe.-Act-.ten'years; agoi'" Tliero'arb ,10tf.-i/uropean pensiotiers of the ago of ninety,ana;? over. ■ . Of, this . arnnber ■. 7 ire ■' ninety-five and.ovc,, ;and 2 : are;. centenarians/ The. num- ■ 00,ri ;9 '.n5.° w - clai f?, s r^WW 1 -'duiins the year .was! iaJl.-.i Xhese,' with, the. 610 awaiting investigation, nt the seventy-five Agencies'of the Department'on ,March .31, :IMS, : made-a total of 347 i claims dealt with., Tlicy are 'accounted lor-as follow—Granted, '2113; rojectod, 498; awaiting investigation; on .'Marsh -- 31;, 1009,' 883. The ..total.claims; lodged'since the' Act came into :g ho ?, January;,: 1, 18E)D, ; now. : nuniber Of these, 27,730 have >been granted; of .which.-latter'sl per cent, are slill on tho pen-sion-roll.'.lho. new pensioners-.admitted during vhtf year includo 110 -Natives; 1016 of them \or. 9p .per .cent.,' dvq- of. BvitisK extraction,. i n * c ™ ln K's2 white s born in ' New. .Zealand. - ; ;ylhe'..,pereent(igc! of new pensioners ■ to' the people who becamo eligible, by 'age 'and 'resiuonco ' .eaoli^ shows Van , f upward-.tehdency.- ! According , as. tho. numberof -pensioners a 9 , al? o„ nnlst the annual v payments under the' Act. llie_ gross pass.'d •,through the' ■^™^V^vtttf>^;-^r.'-totalled''.jeSM1759.I 759. lbs,; Jd.,being a sum exceeding that paid in' tho previous. war by '<£11,560; 13s. The increase last iv'. p -&. (, ! n K;XWf's. figures>«:■' also and it .will no doubt appear straiiEf that,. pH'hoiigh :tli'ere hasj been-,little" variation ;in iJii.s audition to th 2 . annual payment: in- . tho L.past;two-years,, .there ..was last year an increasa of :827 ponsiohei's, as against' 0n1y,':312 ■ln. 'tne ; year 1907.8.,,;, T,iis . seeming disDarity : 1S ■ explained;;b:/..th64fact,.that'tho'. in'crease of ipensioners. in ; ,tho past year - was more pronounced; in-, the 'closing•! months v of : tho 'year u0 » wideniiig -of -the scope mU *~vi ■' it H, W&fr, .remarks. elfeot ,ot-. tliiS: latter increment' in .numbers •on the ; annual-ipaymeats. has: yet -to ■be • relt.; .Y';'.'-" '• : ' r ' v* ; ' '• ' 'After;deducHng: the'sum of i£227 lis. 7d - re:PrrsenlinS;.overpayments ;of.. pension refunded • iSS*! B ?'•'tb'eConsolidated Fund IS "riLOobjOaS .15;..7(1, fl - m ' n ' s ' ra ';'on ■■ during' tho vear w-a5, : i9098. 2s.V2d. ; less -than i£4W7 of these iWaS vP^ v t? ; thel l'Ostal Department, •jSSJ'i a '-eontnbntion. (o pay pensions, anil .^SO/ postages.:By deducting this,sum from the, toial, - tho - actual cost <of adininistriition in .salaries,■.-travelhng-e.tp(>iise3, ' | ahd' incidentals is reduced; to, "being only 1.3 ' per cent, of 'he. total - paid away - in pensions tlwriur thn year.-.', v.-;"-',v-,