SEPARATION ALLOWANCES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 195, 13 May 1919, Page 4

SEPARATION ALLOWANCES

CONDITIONS OP RETROSPECTIVE PAYMENTS. A special General Order has been issued by the Defence Department setting forth the conditions under which the retrospective payment of separation allowance is to be made. The present rate of 3s. 11 day separation allowance, payable to the wives of lieutenants, warrant officers, non-commissioned men of the Expeditionary Force, Foreign Service Branch, or to the guardians of their motherless children, is to apply with retrospective effect from tho date of the first embarkation of troops from New Zealand. This dato was August 15, 1911, when tho Samoan Force sailed.' The allowance will run from the date of embarkation, and no payment will be made for service in training camps. Separation allowance has already been paid as under:— (a) Lieutenants—Wives or guardians of motherless children, 3s. a day from January 1, 1918. (b) Warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and men—Wives, Is. a dav from .Tune 1, 1915, to December 31, 1917; 3s. a day from January 1, 1918. Guardians of motherless children, Is. a day from June 1, 1915, to April 30, 1918; 3s. a dav "from May 1, 1918. Arrears are therefore payable as follow: (a) Lieutenants—Wives or guardians of motherless children, 3s. a day from embarkation to December 31, 1917. (b) Warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and men—Wives, 3s. a day from embarkation to May 31, 1915; 2s."a day from June 1, 1915, to December 31, 1917. Guardians of. motherless children, 3s. a day from embarkation to May 31,1915; 2s. a day from June 1, 1915, to April 30,1918. ■ The payee generally will be identical with tho person who is drawing or lias already drawn separation allowance. In case of misconduct, desertion, or deceaeo of the original payee the Department reserves the right to pay to a person or society considered to be ablo to distribute the money in the best interest of the soldier's family. Where soldiers have returned to New Zealand nrior to December 31, 1917, payment will be made up to the date of discharge or return to duty in Now Zealand. In the latter case the full allowance will commence to run from the date of re-embarkation, lntho case of soldiers deceased prior to December 31, 1917, payment wi'2 be made up to the dato of decease, or to the date separation allowance was paid, if later. It will not be necessary for application to be made in respect of u arried soldiers undischarged on April 30, 3919, but in the case of married soldiers deceased,, or discharged prior to that dato applications will he required before payments are issued. These applications should be sent by letter to the Officer in Charge War Expenses. The. order states that the allowance cannot bo claimed as a right, but is issued at tho discretion of the Minister of Defence.