LARGE FAMILIES

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17170, 30 March 1927, Page 3

LARGE FAMILIES

. AYMENT OF ALLOWANC'ES - . 1ULATIONS UNDER NEW ACT. Ainco March 1 numerous applications liave been received by the Pensions Oflice nnder the Family Allowances Act. This legislation • comes into force on April lst. and the tirst payments will be madc on April 24th. Regulations under the Act. which was tlesigned to assist the heads of large families, wcre recently gazetted. They covei* such points as calculation of income, exemption from computation, and the method of payment. Persons entitled to the allowancc must m,ake application on the forms provided at anv courthouse in the Dominion and lodge them Avitb the District Registrar of Pensions. .For investigation purposes the Commissioner of Pensions is given access to the registers and records of all Departments of State. all property of the applicant, ?nd all bool^. vouchers and other documents relating to the property or to the income of the applicant. Income DelSned. In the c.alculation of the income of any family, the average weekly income will be deemed to include, at the discretion of the Commissioner, the actual weeldy earnings or other regular wepkly receipts as at the datc of application; the weekly equivalent of any other periodical payments Avhich the family may be entitled to receive dtiring the ensuing allowance year, although no part thereof may have heen actual- ,• ly received; the one-fifty ' second ; part of all other receipts (except | such as are exempted) during the last preceding income jrear; such j propo'rtion as the Commissioner. ; deems reason.able, having regard to i all the circumstances, of the aver- ! age weekly amount of any capital i moneys expended for other than ; capital purposes. In the exercise of i j his discretion under this head the i ; Commissioner will nr.t include any i ' capital moneys in the computation : i of income if the average weekly ex- ] ! Bcnditure (including the expendi- ; ; ture of .any allowance received tm- : ticr the Ac'tl does not exceed. £5 10s • a week with an additional 10s a ; ; week. for each child in excess of i ihree. | The term "income*'' is nct deemed j to include any allowance payablc i under the Act, any payment by way i of sick or funeral benefit from any registered friendly society, any money received on the sale or exchangc of land or other ' property, any money received under an inusnrance policy on the destruetion or damage hy fire or otherwise of a huilding or other property, any principal or capital sum received on the intestacy or under the Avill of any member of the family, any moneys raised hy public subscription for the benefit of any member of the family, any money received by way of compensation or damages in respect of the death of any member of the famify, or personal earnings whicli have ceased owinf? to loss of employment or other cause. Payment of Allowances. Every allowance authorised by the Commissioner will before the period of one year, and will commence on the first day of the month in which the application was lodged. In respect of every allowance authorised there will be issued an identity certificate which will set out particulars of the grant and ; the place of payment. The allowance will be paid at post offices monthly (not earlier than the 25th), j ;and every receipt given hy the ! payee will include a -statement that all the children in respect of whom the allowance is granted remain un- j der his care and control. General Provisions. "Whenever he is satisfied that it is ; expedient to do so, having. regard to age, infirmity, or improvidence, or any other special circumstances, the Commissioner will issue a warwrant authorising payment of instalments to any reputable person for the benefit of the children. In such cases the application for the warrant should be made in writing to any registrar or postmaster, oi* j to the Commissioner direcf, and be i accompanied by the identity certificate if the person entitled to the allowance consents to the application. If the person does not consent to the application and refuses to give up the identity certificate, the application must state" these facts. The proposed payee must be not less than twenty-one years of age, and the warrant will eontinue in force only during the currency of the identity certificate to which it is expressed to relate, provided that it may be renewecl or cancelled at any time by the Commissioner. ' For the purpose of ascertaining whether an allowance is to be continued, or whether the amount of any allowance should be altered, the Commissioner rnay require ,at the close of any income year, or at kny other time, a statement from the parents of the children regarding their income and property, and the number of their children under 4ifteen years of age. On receipt of 1 this statement, .the Commissioner I will verify the confenjts, and conduct his investigation in. the same manner as in the case of an original application, and for that purpose the various forms relating to the investjgation of original applications will apply with all necessary modifications.