WAR PENSIONS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1469, 6 November 1915, Page 4

WAR PENSIONS.

GENERAL FEATURES.

WHAT THE ACT PROVIDES

The legal phraseology of the War Pensions Bill renders it difficult for those vitally interested in its provisions to understand readily and precisely the benefits it confers, and the exact extent ol those benefits ; and for that reason the following particulars may prove useful to many readers. The pensions are payable not only in respect of soldiers and officers who actually fight or go out to fight; but in respect of any other member of the forces, i.e.. nurses and doctors, and any other person serving in any capacity, whatsoever, with the forces it they serve beyond New Zealand in the present war, and are in receipt of pay from the New Zealand Government.

Those who serve in the New Zealand naval forces (i.e., those who are on the Philomel), or in the New Zealand Defence Forces, are included. Pensions can also be claimed by any members of the New Zealand Forces who have been temporarily attached to any Other portion of His Majesty’s Forces and are In receipt of Imperial pay. And in all instances of course, the dependents of any such persons who are killed are entitled to pensions. All claims will have to be made to the board which will make due investigation into claims submitted.

IN CASE OF DISABLEMENT,

The claims of a disabled soldier for himself and those dependent upon him go before the Board. This Board will enquire whether the disablement is total or only partial; and will also recommend to the Minister the extent to which dependents are dependent upon a soldier or other members of the forces, and will fix the rates of pensions in accordance with their investigations. The wife and child or children of a deceased member of the Forces or of a totally disabled member will receive the full maximum pension ; but other dependents will only be awarded the value of the benefit received from the member of the Force during the year preceding the date upon which be joined. If a dependent has property or income, or his relatives liable at law to support him or her, these facts will be weighed by the Board when awarding the pension. . But the pension of the disabled member of the Forces is in no way affected by any property he holds or by any income to which he is entitled. He will get his full pension. Supposing a private or a man of equivalent rank or able seaman is totally disabled (partial disablement cases, as already slated, are dealt with by the Board), he will get for himself ,£1 13s per weekj his wife will get 12s 6d (if he is married), and for every child he has he will get 5s a week to a maximum ot ,£3 12s 6d. Lance-corporals (and equivalent rank) get the sum of £1 15s for themselves, but an extra sixpence a week for the wife ; sergeants and equivalent ratings get ,£i 153 a week for themselves and 13s 6d for their wive* ; sergeant-majors £1 15s for themselves and 15s for their wives; 2nd lieutenants ,£1 17s 6d for themselves, 17s 6d for their wives, and a maximum in each case, including children’s allowances, of £4 ; captains £2 for themselves, ,£1 for their wives, maximum ,£4 ss; major £2 7s, wives £1 3s 6d, maximum ,£4 15s 6d ; lieut.-colonel £2 i6s, wife ,£1 Bs, miximum £5 gs ; colonel £2 18s, wife £1 9s, total £5 12s; brigadier-general ,£3, wife £1 10s, total £5 15s. In each case the allowance per child up to the respective minimum is ss. In addition to these sums, the board may grant to a member a further 10s a week for an attendant, if such services are indispensible.

IN THE CASE OF DEATH* If a member of the Forces is killed at the front, the widow and children are entitled to the following amounts ; If a private (or equivalent ranks') £i ss, maximum lance-corporal £1 6s, maximum ,£3 3s ; sergeant £1 7s, maximum ,£363; sergt.-major, etc., £1 9s, maximum 8s; regimental sergt.-major ,£1 xos, maximum £$ 9s; sub lieutenant £2, maximum £2, 16s ; captain £2 ss, maximum ,£4 3s; major £2 12s, maximum £4 12s; lieut.-colonel £3 is, maximum £5 3s; colonel /3s 3s, maximum £5 5s ; briga-dier-general ss, maximum £s 9s. The allowance per child in each case is 5s per week, and the maximum, of course, means that the wife is entitled to draw, including each child, up to the maximum amount stated in each case. Pensions continue to be paid in respect of female children until they are seventeen years; and special extension of the pension is made in the case of orphan or defective children. This matter lies with the board.

Claimants for pensions must be bona fide residents of New Zealand, i.e., they must recognise New Zealand as their home, though they may make holiday trips abroad. The only exception is in the case of a father or mother dependent upon a member of the forces who may live abroad. In all claims of dependents, those of a wife and children come first; and as there is a maximum limit to the pension, the amount any dependent, other than the wife or children, draws, cannot be more than three-fourths of ihe amount paid to the wife; or it there are no children, it cannot be higher than that paid to the wife. A wife’s pension ceases on her re-marriage ; but she may receive a gratuity equal to two years’ pension. Those who are entitled to pensions as dependents, besides the wife and children, are : A father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, step-father, step-mother, grandson, granddaughter, . brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, or mother-in-law. It is necessary to make claims for pensions (in the case of dependents) within six months of the date of notification of death ; and a member of the forces must apply within six months of the time when he leaves the forces. If a soldier returns disabled and is married, the wife must apply for a pension within six mouths of the marriage, and if a child is born application for its pension must be made within six mouths of birth. The pension starts from the date of death ; and, in the case of disablement, from the date of severance from the forces. No claim of any sort can legally be made against a pension. In making application for a pension it is very necessary to give the board all details regarding property, income, etc., as the suppression ot such information involves a very heavy penalty. There is provision for interim payments to claimants pending the decision of the board upon the claims. Any member of the forces “reported missing’’ is to all intents and purposes, so far as the pension to his dependents is concerned, considered as having died. In such case, if he is found to be alive and well, the amount of pension may be deducted from his accumulated pay and if disabled a similar adjustment is made, A male child draws pension until the age of sixteen years ; an adopted child comes within the category of “child,’’ and also stepchildren and illegitimate children. A woman marrying a disabled soldier within twelve months ot his discharge can draw a pension if there was a “binding" contract to marry between them before he went away ; or if a woman was the mother of a child born to the soldier before their marriage, so long as they marry afterwards—provided that the child was born before or within nine months alter the departure of the soldier for the front. Special provision is made to legally recognise the marriage customs of Maori claimants. It lies with the board also to grant pensions to fathers and mothers dependent upon soldiers if the father is over 55 years of age and the mother more than 50 years, but the maximum amount ot the pension must not be exceeded. The Act was passed last week, and received the Royal Assent, and is to all intents and purposes in operation now. Men of New Zealand who enlist elsewhere are not entitled to pensions ; all soldiers who die in camp betore the departure come under the 1909 Act.