REDUCED PENSIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 April 1932, Page 2

REDUCED PENSIONS

ACTION THIS WEEK

PROVISIONS OF READJUSTMENT BILL ENFORCED.

WELLINGTON, April 20

Although the National Expenditure Readjustment- Bill, which authorises the reductions, has not yet been macro law, all branches of the Pensions Department have been instructed to issue pensions at the reduced rates as 'from Saturday, April 23rd., which is the due date in the present month. Reductions in pensions and allowances payable out of the Consolidated Fund as from April Ist. constitute an important feature of the Bill now Before Parliament.

The amount of the old-age pension will he reduced from an annual value of £ls I.os to £lO 19s, diminished by £1 for every complete £1 for income in exces s of £39. The former basis was £52.

In the case of married couples both in receipt of old age-pensions, they arc. entitled to pensions which shall not make their total incomes exceed £l2l. Previously the limit wa.,4 £ll3.

AVIDOAVB AND MINERS. In the case of widows’ pensions, the allowance for each child is reduced from Ids to 9s, and the maximum payable i* reduced from £4 to £3 12s. A pension shall not he granted of such amount that the total incomes of the widow and hpr children together with pension will exceed £1 14s a week (formerly £2), together with 9s a week for each child or exceed £4 17s a week (formerly £0 10s), whichever rate is the less.

The amount on which miners’ pen'sions are ba-secl is reduced from 25s a week to 22. s 6d. In the case of married men the allowance for each child is reduced front 10s to 9s, and the allowance for the children of widowers*’ ivs 'similarly _reduced. The 1 maximum benefits are reduced from £4 os to £3 16s 6d.

AVAR PENSIONS. The rate of every pension other than the economic pension payable unuer tile AVar Pensions Act to any dependents other than a. widow, child, or widowed mother of a soldier or to the guardians of a soldier’s children, is* reduced by an amount equal to 17j per cent, of the rate at which such pensions were payable on Alarch 31st. la'st. The maximum value of the economic pension payable to- a totally or partly disabled soldier is reduced from 30s a week to 21s. The economio pension paid to a. widow with one child is reduced from 10s to Bts. In the c-aise of a widow with two or more children an additional allowance 01 v?s 6d for each childl in excess of one has ( been payable, but the amount will now he reduced to 2s. A further 15s a week ,xjmy at present be granted by tile War Pensions Board to a widow with ot without children, hut that wil 1 bo reduced to 12s. The maximum for wholly dependent widowed mo there is reduced from 20s to 16s, otovided that hei’ income from all souv-es doe; not exceed £2 6s (formerly £2 10s). Partly-dependent widowed mothers are reduced on the same weekly basis, and the limit of income from all sources is reduced from 35s to 3Fs.

The maximum payable as family allowances was fixed by the Act of l’J26 at £4, but that was reduced In*fc year to £3 12s. The Bill proposes a further reduction of £3 os.