ELIGIBILITY FOR RELIEF

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 72, 17 December 1937, Page 8

ELIGIBILITY FOR RELIEF

PresB Association.)

New System for Seasonal Workers STAND-D0WN PERI0D

(By Telegraph— !

CHBISTCHUBCH, Last Night,^ A new system of granting unemploji ment relief to seasonal workers to prfc vent them from drawing undue benefit^ from the Employment Fund was aaj nounced this evenihg by the Ministe? of Labour, Hon. H. T. Armstrong, ,The Minister explained that one of tha points which had emerged., during the elose investigation which was being made into various classes of unemploy-i ment workers included in th*e registeg of unemployed was that employees ini| seasonal occupations wero being adi mitted to unemployment relief- benefita immediately at the end of their eeasoni In past years seasonal workers had customarily relied on their season'a- - earnings to support them during aA least a portion of the off - season, com tinued the Minister. In fairness ta other contributors to the fund it- had been decided that some account must b4 taken of seasonal earnings when appln cation is made for relief. j It is not intended in future to permn such seasonal workers, such as shearerq freezing works and butter and cheesl factory employees, to be entered in thO register of unemployed immediateljj after .their seasonal employment. The method now to be adopted would not operate haTshly. Seasona) workers, registering for relief at th^ end of the season would be consid'ered eligible for benefits when their eara ings for the 12 weeks before the dato of eligibility were approximatelj eqnivalent to an average of £4 a weelf over that period. If at the, date oi application the average earnings ovei the last 12 weeks were below £4 1 week, no stand down period would bi involved. "Employment" officers are being sup plied with full details of the nea system, and persons likely to bi affected by it' are advised to obtaii * fuither information from them,"- toi cluded Mr. Armstrong.' - - '