SOCIAL SECURITY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 March 1939, Page 7

SOCIAL SECURITY

AGE AND OTHER BENEFITS. CONDITIONS OF APPLICATION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Forms of application for monetary benefits under Part 2 of the Social Security Act, 1933 —that is, in respect of age, widows, orphans, family, invalids, miners and sickness and unemployment —will be available on and after tomorrow at the office of any registrar of pensions or the district employment officer of the Labour Department in the larger centres, and at the local post office in smaller towns throughout the Dominion.

The Act will come into operation as from April 1, and application forms when completed should be forwarded to the nearest Social Security office. Those already in receipt of pensions or allowances are not required to apply for similar monetary benefits under the Social Security Act, as the changeover will be made without personal application. For example, an old-age pensioner receiving a pensibn of 22s 6d a week will be granted from April 1 the age benefit of 30s a week without application, and a person holding a current pension certificate will be able to produce it as sufficient authority to receive payment of the corresponding benefit of the Social Security Department at next pay day. It is expected that a large number of applications will be received by the department during the initial stages, but no time will be lost in preparing each case for the Social Security Commission's decision. Any accumulation of applications will be reduced to normal dimensions as expeditiously as possible.

When interviewed this morning concerning the payment of pensions, retc., the postmaster at Masterton, Mr M. M. Simpson, and the officer in charge of the local office of the Labour Department, stated that they were awaiting advice on the matter of social security' applications, which was expected to reach them at any moment. PREPARATIONS IN AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND, March 13. Officers of the Pensions Department in Auckland said today that all pensions provisions under the Social Security Act will come into operation as fro.m April 1. Arrangements had been made for the first payment of the increased age benefits and other pensions on April 23. The due date for payment does not fall till April 30, since the department normally follows the practice of paying at the end of the month all pensions falling due at the beginning of the month. However, the usual systei?. will be followed of paying a week in advance of due date.