THE NEW LEVY

Hokitika Guardian, 29 July 1931, Page 2

THE NEW LEVY

Payable in august. ■ Every male person in New Henlnnd aged 20 yearn or over and those who attain that age while the Unemployment Amendment Act is in force, are, unless exempted, liable for payment of a General Unemployment Levy of 20/per annum, payable quarterly or yearly. The first instalment will become due on Saturday, Ist August. The Amending Act contains several new features concerning the annual levy. One of these is the change in the months when the levy becomes payable —namely, February, May, August and November. Those who have paid the levy due under the principal Act for the September-November quarter will have the amount adjusted in respect of the new levy.

Employers have a responsibiliy with regard to payment of the levy by their employees; .and the Act- enables employers to protect themselves against the risk of employing defaulters by giving them authority to deduct from the wages of an employee the amount of any instalment that is overdue for more than one month. Should an unregistered employee or one who is in arrears for one month in payment of the levy be kept in employment for more than seven days the employer is liabl© to a fine of £2O. Default in payment of the General Levy for more than one month renders a person liable to a fine of £5 and an additional penalty of 6d is provided for every month or part of a month after the first month during which the levy is not paid. The principal Act did not give the Unemployment Board power to postpone payment of the Levy, hut the •Amending - Act provides for this at the discretion of the Board.

In cases where the Unemployment Board has reason to believe that a relief worker is not making any or adequate provision for dependents the Act provides for payment to some other person the wages due to the worker, on condition that they be expended for the maintenance of the dependants.