INVALIDITY BENEFITS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 July 1939, Page 8

INVALIDITY BENEFITS

4. WHEN BENEFICIARIES ARE IN HOSPITAL. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. (By Tflppranh—Press Association.! WELLINGTON. This Day. The position of a person receiving the invalidity benefit who finds it necessary to enter hospital for tieatment is better off under the Social Security Act than it was under the old legislation providing for invalidity .pensions, the acting-Minister for Social Security (Mr Parry) stated today. , ... , . Previously hospital authorities had power to take instalments of a penvoner’s pension. Under the new Act. if a person receiving the invalidity nenclit were in hospital for less than a month, the whole of the benefit instalment due was paid to that person. If a person should be in hospital for over a month 25 per cent at least of the benefit is paid to him, and, having regard to the circumstances of the case, consideration is given to payment of the balance due. During the month of discharge from hospital, the full benefit for that month is paid. Mr Parry added that provision was also made for payment of the whole or some part of the benefit to the wife or near dependants of a married man receiving invalidity benefit who iiad the misfortune to be in hospital. Favourable review generally was given to a case in which such circumstances arose.