HOME SERVICE FORCES

Southland Times, Issue 24825, 18 August 1942, Page 4

HOME SERVICE FORCES

PENSIONS FOR INJURED MEN DISCUSSED

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, August 17. The question of war pensions for members of the home service forces, including the Home Guard, who suffer injury while proceeding to or from parades or leave formed the subject of a deputation to the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, from the Dominion Executive committee of the New Zealand Returned Services Association, states a report supplied by the executive committee. The deputation submitted the following resolution: “That disability (accident or sickness) occurring (1) while within the boundaries of a camp, whether on duty or not, (2) at any other time while actually on duty, or going to or returning from duty, (3) when actually proceeding on or returning from leave, and (4) in any other case if it can be shown that the condition was caused or aggravated by service, should come under the War Pensions Act.”

The deputation stated that the association appreciated the difficulty of arriving at any definite basis for the acceptance of claims for war pensions from home service men and also appreciated the Government’s action in setting up a special committee to consider some of the cases under the headings outlined in the association’s resolution. In some cases considered by this special committee the equivalent of a full war pension and other privileges had been granted as compensation. The association felt the Government had recognized the principle that these men were entitled to adequate recompense, and it failed to see why this could not be done through the War Pensions Board.

The deputation further suggested that provided a man was travelling definitely on a service warrant, going to or returning from his destination, he. should be considered as coming within .the provisions of the war pensions legislation.

The Minister, replying, said there had been a large number of accidents suffered by men going to or returning from parades. The question of war pensions for Home Guardsmen and territorials had been receiving the consideration of the Government. The War Pensions Board had stated that such injuries were not attributable to service in the forces. The Government had considered there was a hardship in some of the cases and therefore appointed a committee to go into the matter.

The Minister added that the cases of injury of home service men while on leave being left to the War Pensions Board was a policy matter for Government decision. If it were decided that men travelling on furlough with a warrant and meeting with an accident were eligible for a war pension, these cases would automatically come within scope of the War Pensions Board. There were many difficulties to be considered, however, before a decision could be made. The Minister promised that the representations would be borne in mind when the matter was being considered.