WAR PENSIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 March 1916, Page 6

WAR PENSIONS.

THE WORK OF THE BOARD FURTHER GRANTS TO SOLDIERS AND DEPENDENTS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, March 3. Last week the Pensions Board dealt with 75 applications, 40 from soldiers and 35 from dependents. Of the 40 soldiers, 11 were granted pensions and 22 allowances, while 3 applications "w ere declined and 4 adjourned. Thirty dependents were granted pensions and two allowances, while two applications were ■declined and one case was adjourned. The 41 pensions granted to soldiers and dependents represented an annual charge of £I4OB. The' Board has held further sitting during the present week, and has dealt with no fewer than 118 applications, a record number for a single week. The cases were dealt with as follows:—Soldiers: 30 pensions, 49 allowances, 6 declined, 5 adjourned—total 90. Dependents: 25 pensions, 2 declined, 1' adjourned—total 28. , The 30 pensions granted to soldiers comprised 3 at the full amount of £9l a year, 1 at £7B, 4 at £65, 14 at £.52, lat £39, 7at £26. The allowances ranged from 35s to 10s a week for 3 or 0 months.' The eases of the men who receive allowances will be further considered at the end of the period, in order that the Board may ascertain if permanent pensions ought to be granted. One man was allowed to capitalise his claim and received a cash grant of £SO, with which he intends to start in business in a small way. The Pensions Board has dealt with 1158 claims up to the present time. The number of pensions granted-has been 698, involving an annual charge of, £30,785. The Board has granted 241 allowances, has declined 92 applications, has adjourned 25 claims, and has 102 in hand. Among the cases dealt with this week was that of a mother residing in Tasmania. Her son was killed while serving with the New Zealand forces, and she was granted a pension of 10s a week. The mother of a lieutenant and the mother of a lance-corporal were each granted £1 a week. A father who had lost two sons was allowed a pension of 10s a week for each boy, rtiaking a total of £1 a week. The pension of a widow was increased from £1 a week to £ll7 a year. Another widow had her pension increased from £7B a year to £lO4. '