PENSIONS INCREASES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3191, 15 September 1917, Page 9

PENSIONS INCREASES

WHAT THE ADDITIONS MEAN

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER

It is generally known that under the Knanoe Act, 1917, recently passed, there was an. increase provided in old-age and other pensions. With a view of ascertaining the true position a reporter «aifced upon the Hon. Arthur 11. Myers, Minister of Pensions, who made the following statement:— There would be an increase as'follows: —

Old age: ss. per week. Widow's: .£6 per annum for each child [under 14 years of a widow in receipt of a pension. - Military: ss, per week to veterans of the Maori War in receipt of a military Spension whoso income, with ponsion and allowance included, does not exceed .£2OO j>or annum. ' .Miner's: ss. per >wepk, except to thoso JWlio mayibo in receipt of o!d-age or vidow's pelision. These , increases-.-will remain in forco for twelye months niter tae present war iiiis terminated/.uml will be added to the pension, due (in October 1, I!) 17, und jiaynule on the-23rd of the present mouth. The effect will, be that overy old-age ipensioner will receive an' increase of ill !*.' Bd. per month,'whatever the amount .of the pension may be. The present maximum pension payable jto a widow is «£(i per annum, and £6 per annum for each child under 14 years of age. With tho increase,- however, the rato will be M for the widow, and £12 jjer annum for each child. Tho present military ponsion is £36 per sinnuin, and is granted regardless of income. The income of pensioners granted tip to tho passing of the 1913 Act is );iiown, and to these, if eligible, the increase of ss. a week will be authorised forthwith. To the remainder a form is lioilig circulated by tlio Department asking for information to enable tho pensioner's eligibility to be determined. Tho jnonthly rate to those eligiblo will bo increased iroin £3 to £i Is. Bd. Tho present rato payable to miners is: tt'o a single- man £3'J por annum, to a married man JCS2 per annum, to a widow of a miner <£32 lbs. per annum, all of ,v/hom will receive an incroaee of £13 per annum—ss. a week. Persons, howtver, in receipt of a miner's nensiou, if nlready in receipt of an old-age pension or widow's pension, will not receive the iillowanco twice over. When an dd-age pension is payable, that will bo increased, end tlio miner's pension remain Unaltered. When a widow's pension, is paynble, it will depond upon which carried itlie greater allowance—the widow's peaeion with 10s. a month for each.child, or the miner's pension with £1 Is. Bd. (per month. The widow of a miner, with -a widow's pension and two children, iwoulTTliave her miner's pension increased by "il Iβ. B'd., wTioreas the same person ;witli three children would Jiuvo ler ■wTSow's pension increased by &l 103. per month. The estimated cost per annum cf the increase is .£300,000. I 'may add (remarked Mr. Myers) that Hie total number and annual vahio of the aboye-niontioned pensions as at March 61,' 1917, was: ' No. Value. £ Old ago 19,697 \ '150,559 Widow's. 2,024 39386 Military 1,232 ' «,352-. Miner's 23? JV^ 23,191 ■ .£57.1,281