HELP FOR SOLDIERS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 January 1920, Page 4

HELP FOR SOLDIERS

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE BOARD. GRANTS OVER £326,000 Mr T. S. Donaldson, chairman of the Soldiers’ Financial Assistaave Board, has made to the Minister for Defgfice, Sir James Allen, the following progress report, which is in ad probability the final report of the proceedings of the (board: RELIEVING HARDSHIP.

Although fourteen meetings of the board were held during the quarter ended December 31st, 1919, only 129 grants were authorised, and the bulk of these merely represented retrospective payments or continuance of existing grantis where the game were obviously justified to alleviate undue financial hardship caused by military

service. The - following summary shows the heavy failing off in the number (t"e amount to the nearest £) of warrants issued during the quarter: Oct. Nov. Do."No. of warrants ... 1060 726 353 £ £ £ Rent 1245 999 488 Interest 1029 722 340 Instalments 45 26 6 Rates 453 447 181 Life insurance 1613 1091 638 Fire Insurance 23 20 19 Lodge Foes 22 6 National Provident Fund! 9 7 l Confinement and Surgical operations ... 92 30 20 Miscellaneous 21

. Totals (approx.) £4532 £3346 £1691 A commencement' has been made to recover unearned war risk premiums (not yet refunded), in terms of the concessions granted by the respective insurance offices. It is gratifying to record the reerpt of numerous letters of thanks and appreciation from returned soldiers for tile prompt manner in which payments were made; also lor the attention, civility, and courtesy extended by the Board’s staff to the soldiers’ dependents.

NEW APPLICATIONS. Amongst the new applications few cases of genuine hardship have come to light—for instance, where a soldier's affairs have not been properly administered during his absence, . -<ud t.lie soldier has been called upon on his return to meet accumulated liabilities Special expenses in such eases have clearly established a claim for financial assistance, and the Board lias been enabled to grant the necessary assistance under further regulations gazetted ■ u June 10th, 1919. The majority d' ;V----applications, however, are made by young unmarried men without dependents, on account of small recurring la - bilities, chiefly life insurance, ivli' -a could have been met, and, in fact, were met in some cases, from the soldi’iw’ allotments.

LIFE INSURANCE. These classes of applications were fully dealt with in my report of October 17th, 1919, but confusion still exists in the minds of soldiers recently returned, chiefly as regards war loading on life insurance policies. The recent provision enabling the Government to pay any loading of premium imposed by the Government Insurance Department on account of impaired health occasioned by service in the case of men now insuring is still being misinterpreted to apply to war-loading, i.e., loading charged on account of military service beyond New Zealand.

OUT-PATIENTS. It is noteworthy that many returned soldiers undergoing out-patient hospital treatment are very persistent in their claims for continuous financial assistance, and in this connection it should he pointed out that in the case of an out-patient private, with a wife and one child, the military income amounts to 13s 6d per day, or £246 7s 6d per annum. When advice is received that a soldier is undergoing out-patient treatment, the case is reviewed on its merits. Under the liberal assistance and wide scope of the repatriation scheme, financial assistance under the Soldiers’ Financial Assistance regulations is seldom necessary or justified after discharge.

STAFF BEING RETRENCHED. The staff is being retrenched rapidly, and within a month only two or three officers will be required to deal with the few applications being received. They will carry on the routine work of answering inquiries from returned men as to the position of their financial affairs, also inquiries from insurance offices, solicitors, agents, etc., of completing payments and of finally handling and recording paid warrants not yet cashed or returned.

TJie work of the board in the matter of fresh applications is practically concluded. ; and, although only a few meetings will now be necessary, the board will continue to meet as required, and will make special arrangements to deal with new cases as soon as completed. With the prompt co-operation and assistance of Lieutenant-Colonel Hutchen, officor-in-charge, War Expenses, arrangements have been completed for the closing operations of the Board to I carried out in the premises of the ir Expenses Department. It is hopto effect tho shift of the few remain- : members of the staff by Wednesr, 21st inst, and the 20,000 files will gradually consolidated with the Exlit ion ary Force and other files of the pective soldiers, [’aides appended to tho report show t the grand totals of tho cases apved by the Minister and the amounts nted as at November 30th last, wore 374 cases and £326,132 granted.