PENSIONS FOR ALL

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 11 October 1924, Page 5

PENSIONS FOR ALL

IF BREADWINNER DISABLED

A BIG SCHEME

THE ESTIMATED COST

(By Telegraph—Special to Star.)

WELLINGTON, Oct. 11. The case for investigation into the cost of universal sickness, invalidity and pensions scheme for the whole population of New Zealand would be £6,515,000, according to the Hon. G. J. Anderson, Minister of Labour, who gave the House further information as a result of his investigation into the possibility of bringing in such a system. It was not, he said, a party matter, and he intended completing his enquiries with the object of submitting a scheme to Parliament on which the electors could express their opinions next Under it the whole population could be assured of being car ed for when ill and that their families would be looked after if the •breadwinner died, and that, whatever were the vicissitudes of ' life, they would be sure. He had secured the assistance of the head of the Pensions Department and Government Actuai’y to find the cost of -the contributory scheme, under which there would be a sickness payment and pension to his widow and children, and an old age pension at the age of 65. The contribution varied according to. age of the entry, the weekly rate if entering at 15 being 2s 2d ■ for males and Is 5d for females, rising to 5s 7d for males at 35 and 3s 8d for females of that age. There were 835,000' people between 16 and 65 years of age, and if the rate was averaged at 3s weekly it meant an annual sum of £6,515,000 which would be reSuired to give the benefits he had inicated. He favoured eliminating those with salaries of over £4OO if a general superannuation scheme was instituted. The matter of collecting a percentage of salaries and wages would need to be considered. If the country gave a pension to widows, irrespective of their means, it would cost for a £54 pension £1,000,000 annually. If his colleagues agreed with him he would submit the whole matter to a commission or committee to ascertain whether the scheme he had propounded was practicable or not. '