PENSIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 August 1922, Page 8

PENSIONS.

WHAT NEW ZEALAND PAYS. DEPARTMENT’S ANNUAL REPORT. (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, July 31. In the annual report of the Pensions Department the following particulars are given of the pensions in force on March 31, 1922:

The pensions in force at March 31 of the preceding year numbered 57,1’dl and the annual value was £2,826,311. The gross payments were £2,945,802 in 1920-21 and £2,.791,119 in 1921-22. The cost per head of the European population was £2 4s 9d last year and £2 8s lid in the preceding yearThe war pension claims lodged by soldiers up to March 31 last totalled 40,594, and by soldiers’ dependants 18,503. Following is a summary of the annual liability at March 31, 1922:

Actual payments of war pensions to Marc-h 31 last totalled £7,335,044. The payments made during the past year amounted to £1,726,174. The figures for the preceding year were £1,886,052. During 1921-22., new claims were lodged for old-age pensions and 680 rejected; 641 new new claims lodged for widows’ pensions and 123 rejected: 107 , new claims for miners’ pensions and 27 I rejected; 10 new claims lodged for epiIjUmic pensions and four rejected.

• • ■ Number. Annual value. £ War v. . 29,091 1,513.263 Old age . 20.491 751.121 Widows’ . 3,343 207,029 Maori war .... 740 36,260 Miners’ 506 31.505 Epidemic . .... . 683 54,994 Police .... .vr. 5 s 446 Totals ... . 54,859 2,594,018

Annual Average « Soldiers (perNumber, value, pension. £ £ manent) .... Soldiers (tern4,650 243,463 52 porary) .... Dependants 15,302 755,690 50 (temporary). Widows of sol1,103 70,833 72 diers Other dependants of deceas1,986 219,542 111 ed soldiers .. 6,050 204,735 34. Totals ... 29,091 1,513,263 52