INCREASES MADE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 June 1943, Page 2

INCREASES MADE

IN PENSIONS TO DISABLED • SERVICE MEN AND TO WIDOWS & CHILDREN. DETAILS OF AMENDED SCALE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Increases in Avar pensions were announced by the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, in his Financial Statement last night. These are estimated lowcost £625,000 for the balance of this financial year. The increases arc to operate from July 1.

It is proposed, said the Minister, that the disablement pensions will bo increased from £2 to £3 per week, while the maximum economic pension will be £1 15s and the rate for children 10s 6d per week. These proposals will provide for a single disabled service man £4 15s a week, a married man without children £5 15s, with 10s 6d added for each dependent child. If there are a wife and two children, there will be an income of £6 16s per week, tax-free, going into the home. Those who have done the fighting to save our civilisation and their dependants should be a first charge on the income of the Dominion, and thcs should be paid at such a rate as will free them from all economic worries.

It is also proposed to place the widows of service men in as nearly as possible the same position as they were in while their husbands were serving, and in order to effect this it is proposed to increase the pensions to war widows without children from £1 10s weekly to £2 weekly, and those of widows with children from £2 weekly to £2 10s weekly. Also it is proposed to increase the economic pensions from 17s 3d for widows without children to £1 weekly. Widows with children will receive an economic pension at the flat rate of £1 5s weekly.

In addition to the economic pension the widows with children will receive a payment of 10s 6d per week for each child up to the usual qualifying age. In circumstances where existing commitments render it necessary for further assistance to be granted, the Soldiers’ Financial Assistance Board is being authorised to make grants to meet each particular case. “Under existing rates a wife when her husband is killed while receiving an allotment of 4s 6d weekly, would as a widow- receive only £2 7s 3d, this being less, than the £2 16s payable while the husband is alive. Under the new scale her income as a widow will be made up to £3 a week. In the case of a wife with one child, the service income would be £4 0s 6d, which would decrease to £3 Is 6d as a widow. She will now receive £4 5s 6d. In the case of a wife with two children, the figures would be £4 11s, £3 14s 4d, and £4 16s respectively.”

OTHER PENSIONS RAISED < INCLUDING FAMILY AND AGE BENEFITS. Family, age and other pension benefits are also to be increased as from July 1. The family benefit is to be increased from the present rate of 6s to 7s 6d per child. The present age benefit of £1 10s a week plus Is 6d cost of living bonus is being raised to a flat rate of £1 12s 6d. This rate will also apply to invalids, miners, Maori War beneficiaries, and to war veterans. The rate for children will be maintained at 10s 6d for each child, and this rate will also apply to the sickness benefit.

To assist widows whose circumstances preclude them from obtaining adequate regular employment it is proposed to increase the widow’s benefit from the present rate of £1 Is including bonus, to £1 5s a week where there are no children, and from £1 6s 3d to £1 10s a week where there are dependent children. To the latter, of course, is added an allowance for children at the present rate of 10s 6d a week for each child. The circumstances of deserted wives has been the concern of the Government for some time, and inquiries are proceeding with a view to amending the present arrangements, and, if possible, to transfer the responsibility for taking Court proceedings from the wife to the State. Under these circumstances, if the proposals are carried out, the wives and childen will qualify for certain benefits from the Social Security Fund while steps will be taken to' recover from the husband the amounts paid. It is proposed to amend the provisions of the Social Security Act to exempt from the charge as income legacies of up to £5OO, and certain other capital payments; also to ensure that no reduction takes place consequent on the transfer to an age benefit of a benefit payable to a blind beneficiary, when such beneficiary reaches the age of 60 years.