PENSIONERS' HARDSHIPS.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 September 1917, Page 7

PENSIONERS' HARDSHIPS.

APPEALS FOR INCHRASED CONCESSIONS. (From Our Parliamentary Reporter). Wellington, Sept. 0. Many members appealed for increased concessions to the old age pensioners ■when the Finance Bill was under consideration in the Mouse to-day. The Bill provides a war bonus of 5s a week for tha pensioners, hut it does not remedy anomalies that have often been mentioned, Hon. R. H. Rhodes said an old age person was not allowed to draw the full pension if his or her persciiiil earnings in the preceding year had exceeded £34. This was a direct discouragement to self help and he thought the amount should be increased at least to £52. Dr. Newman mentioned the case of a j woman 80 years of age who was not allowed a full pension because she owned a home worth £4OO, the statutory limit . being £340. | Other members urged that it was cruel ! to penalise old people because they had ! savod two or three hundred pounda or ! acquired a small home in which to spend j their declining years. I Sir Joseph Ward said that old people with small savings could invest them in annuities, and if the income did not exceed £34 a year they would still receive the full pension. Or the old person who owned a home could hand the deeds to the Public Trustee and then remain in the house rent free, certain repayments being made to the Government from the estate after death. He sympathised with the old people, but the increases being made in the amount of the pension amounted to £2>10,000 annually ar.d ho could not accept any further increase in the charges. Several members protested warmly that the old people should not bo required to divest themselves of property which tlicy naturally wished to leave to their children. Finally Sir Joseph Ward promised to look into the wholo matter and see what could bo done before the 'Finance Bill .was finally passed.