PENSIONS INCREASES.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 September 1917, Page 3

PENSIONS INCREASES.

' MR. MYERS EXPLAINS. ESTIMATED COST, £30,000 A YEAR. (New Zealand Times). Under the Finance Act 1917 recently passed, increases' in old age and other pensions were provided for. With a view of ascertaining the true position, ! a representative waited upon the Hon. Arthur M. Myers Minister for Pensions. There would, stated Air. .Myers. he the following increases:—Old ago pensions, 5s per week; widow’s pen sinus, £6 per annum for each child un- ' dor fourteen years of age to widow in receipt of a .pension : military pensions 5s per week to veterans of the Afaori war in receipt of a military pension,: whoso income with pension docs not exceed £2OO per annum ; miners’ phthisis . pensions, 5s per week,” except to those : who rnav he in receipt of old age or wid- ; ow s pensions. | “These increases added the A 1 mister) will remain in force for twelve months after the present war has terminated, and will he added to the pen- 1 sion due on October Ist, 1917, and pay-] able on the 23rd of the present month, i OLD AGE AND WIDOW’S PENSIONS "The effect- will he that every old age pensioner will receive ail increase of £1 Is 8d per month, whatever the amount of the pension may he. The present miximum pension payable to a widow is £G per annum,, and £6 per annum for each child under fourteen years of age. With the increase, however, tlie rate will he £6 for the widow and £l2 per annum for each child. MILITARY PENSIONS. The present- military .pension is £36 per annum, and is granted regardless of income. The income of pensioners granted u pto the passing of the 1913 Act is known, and to these, if eligible, the increase of 5s a week will he .authorised forthwith. To the remainder a form is being circulated by the department asking for information to enable thepensionor’ s eligibility to

be determined. The monthly rate to those eligible will he increased from £3 to £4 ls Sd. i MINERS’ PENSIONS. } “The present rate payable to miners j js—To n. single man, £39 per annum ; to . a. married man, £52 ;to a widow of a minor £32 10s per annum. All of these will receive an incrensc of £l3 per anmini—ss a week. Persons, however, in receipt of a. miner’s pension, if al- ( ready in receipt of an old age pension or widow’s pension, will not receive the allowance twice over. When an , old ago pension is payable, it will depend upon which carries the greater allowance —the widow’s pension with 10s a month, for each child, or the miner’s pension with £1 Is 8d per month. The widow of a miner, with a widow’s pension and two children, would have her miner’s pension increased by £1 Is Bd, whereas the same per.-, >n with three children would have her widow’s pension increased by £1 10s per month.” what it will cost. The estimated cost per annum of the increases is £300,000. It may l»o added (remarked Mr. Myers) that the total number and annual value of the above-mentioned pensions as at March I 31st 1917, was:— * No Value • Old ape 19,697 180,559 I Widow’s ...... 2,024 39,886 [ Military ..... 1,024 44,352 r Miner’s 238 9,984 j 23,191 £674,281