THIRTY-SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PENSIONS DEPARTMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1934.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1934 Session I, H-18

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1934. NEW ZEALAND

THIRTY-SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PENSIONS DEPARTMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1934.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Section 90 of the Pensions Act, 1926.

The Commissioner of Pensions to the Hon. the Minister of Pensions. Sir, — Pensions Department, Wellington, 30th June, 1934. I have the honour to furnish herewith, for the information of Parliament, the report of the Department relating to war, old-age, widows', Maori War, miners', epidemic, blind, and sundry pensions, and family allowances for the year ended 31st. March, 1934. The following comparative statement relates to the annual value and gross payments of all pensions administered by the Department for the past two years : —

Pensions in Force: Annual Value and Total Payments.

Cost per head of European population: 1932-33, £2 Is. 4d. ; 1933-34, £2 2s. Bd. Payments on behalf of other Governments. The following figures relate to the war and other pensions paid by the Department during the year on behalf of other Governments : —

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As at 31st March,. 1933. j As at 31st March, 1934. Class of Pension. j- ~ Total Number. Annual Value. Payments, Number. Annual Value. Payments, 1932-33. 1933-34. £ £ I £ £ War.. .. .. ,. 21,104 1,200,468 1,217,586 21,314 ! 1,228,572 1,246,441 Old-age .. .. .. I 34,932 j 1,305,772 1,271,157 37,507 1,403,375 : 1,350,982 Widows' .. .. : 4,687 307,926 311,317 4,619 301,388, 302,020 Maori War .. .. .. 106 5,194 5,831 86 4,214 4,522 Miners' .. .. .. 743 1 56,618 62,563 736:. 56,184 56,810 Epidemic .. .. .. 98 3,690 4,197 j 68 2,635 1 3,290 Blind .. .. .. 395 18,422 18,065 438 1 20,399 19,306 Boer War .. .. .. 55! 2,157 2,176 j 52 2,082 2,163 Sundry pensions and annuities.. 120 10,090 9,626 135 i 12,367 11,678 Civil Service Act, 1908 .. 20 6,142 6,453 16 4,933 5,917 Family allowances .. .. 10,320. j 131,118 122,810 12,145 151,765 146,766 Totals .. .. 72,580 I 3,047,597 ! 3,031,781 77,116 ' 3,187,914 3,149,895

o i I m t n : 'u Annua! Average Payments, Government. Class of Pension. j.SIst March, Va!ue> Pengio *. mS-U- £ £ s. d. £ Great Britain .. .. War .. .. 1.463 ! 75,931 52 0 0 07 c ,, .. .. Army and civil .. 746 52,011 74 0 0 f ' ' Australia .. .. .. War .. .. 498 22,990 46 3.4 23,525 India .. .. .. Army and civil.. 68 14,526 214 0 0 27,763 South Africa .. .. War .. .. 3 136 45 0 0 169 .. Civil .. .. 30 3,406 114 0 0 4,896 Crown Colonies .. .. i „ .. .. 38 10,641 280 0 0 15,832 Canada . . . . . . War .. .. 1 215 215 7 4 496 Totals.. | .. | 2,847 179,856 .. 238,656

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Family Allowances. The claims lodged during the year totalled 3,196, which, with the 448 outstanding from the previous year, made a total of 3,644 to be dealt with. Of these, 3,022 were accepted and 360 rejected. Of the rejected claims 149 represent cases where the income of the family was in excess of the limit allowed. 450 new claims from Maoris were finally dealt with during the year, 351 being granted and 99 rejected. The total children of the 12,145 allowances in force as at 31st March, 1934, and those in excess of two in a family numbered 53,367 and 29,077, the average per family being 4-39 and 2-39 respectively. The total amount paid during the year was £146,766, while the total annual value of all allowances in force at the close of the year was £151,765.

Weekly Rates at which Allowances granted.

Numbers according to Size of Family.

Weekly Incomes of Families.

Cost of Administration. The cost of administration for the year amounted to £58,336, the principal items of expenditure being £28,235 for salaries of officers of the Department, who numbered 164 as at 31st. March, 1934 ; £17,183 and £3,086 paid to the Postal Department respectively for payment of pensions and postage and telegrams ; £3,006 for salaries and other expenses of the War Pensions Appeal Board ; and £2,018 for salaries of the War Pensions Board. The percentage of cost of administration to the total payments made of £3,388,552 (including £238,655 paid on behalf of other Governments) was 1-72.

WAR PENSIONS. Summary of War Pension Payments.

The amount paid for the year ended 31st March, 1934, shows an increase over the preceding year of £28,855.

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p " I I i I I Weekly Bate. Is. 2s. 3s. 4s. 5s. 6s. 7s. 8s. 9s. ' 10s. | 12s. 1 14s. , 16s. • , ! 1 ' • 1 i, I 1- ! I j * If ' I ' Number granted .. 2 1,653 5 j 758 5 332 ; 1 155 2 73 21 12 3

Number of Children u 2 . ' 3. 4. 5. 6. I 7. 8. in Jixcess 01 lwo. Number of families .. .. 1,584 776 348 j 177 93 22 18 4

. T nl j j Over £1 and up Over £2 and up Over £3 and up I 0(y K Weekly Income. £1 and under. tQ £2 to £3. to £3 5s. er Number of families .. 157 1,719 762 371 13 I I

Payments made in — Total, London, j Australia. Canada, j Africa Countries ew Zealand £ £ £ £ £ ! £ £ Total payments to 31st 901,290 506,747 29,100 3,963 8,351 19,517,770 20,967,221 March 1933 Payments in 1933-34 64,338 37,395 2,799 1,326 684 1,139,899 j 1,246,441 Total payments to 31st 965,628 544,142 31,899. 5,289 ; 9,035 ' 20.657,669 |22,213,662 March, 1934 j i i

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Summary of Annual Liability as at 31st March, 1934.

War Pensions payable outside New Zealand as at 31st March, 1934.

Economic Pensions payable at 31st March, 1934.

War Pension Appeals. Appeals outstanding on 31st March, 1933 .. .. .. .. 180 Appeals lodged during 1933-34 .. .. .. .. .. 741 921 Appeals dismissed during 1933-34.. .. .. .. .. 303 Appeals upheld during 1933-34 .. .. .. .. .. 326 Appeals withdrawn and struck out, 1933-34 .. .. .. 27 — 656 Appeals outstanding on 31st March, 1934 .. .. .. 265 Percentage upheld, 49-7 per cent. The total number of appeals dealt with to the 31st March, 1934, was 5,527, the percentage upheld being 48 per cent. Of the 656 cases dealt with during the past year, 372 were heard at Auckland, 54-6 per cent, being upheld ; 70 at Wellington, 27-1 per cent, being upheld ; 133 at Christchurch, 39-8 per cent, being upheld ; and 81 at Dunedin, 63 per cent, being upheld. 2—H. 18.

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f r> • Number of Number of . , T7 , Average Class ot Pension. T > ■ Annual Value. „ . 6 Pensioners. Children. Pension. £ £ Soldiers (permanent) .. .. .. 9,686 41 512,671 53 Soldiers (temporary) .. .. .. 3,762 58 261,620 70 Dependants of disabled soldiers .. .. 1,988 3,901 147,424 74 Widows (without children) .. .. 1,063 .. 97,493 92 Widows (with, children).. .. .. 340 581 52,679 155 Other dependants of deceased soldiers — Parents .. .. .. .. 4,102 .. 140,358 34 Other adult dependants .. .. 90 .. 2,578 29 Guardians of children .. .. 283 505 13,749 49 Totals, &c. .. .. .. 21,314 5,086 1,228,572 58

Wives and Soldiers.' Parents of Dependants. Soldiers. . , _. _ ... Annual Liability. Other Permanent. Temporary. Temporary. Widows. Dependants £ Great Britain.. .. 267 83 31 142 457 50,848 Australia .. .. 270 201 35 53 154 38,603 Other countries .. 52 21 1 5 31 4,748 Totals 589 305 67 200 642 94,199 '

Average Class. Number. Annua! Value. Annual Grant. ; £ ! £ Soldiers with permanent pensions .. .. .. 1,231 63,864 I 52 Soldiers with temporary pensions .. .. .. 1,274 67,002 53 Widows with children .. .. .. .. 76 1,879 1 25 Widows without children .. .. .. .. 179 5,519 31 Widowed mothers .. .. .. .. .. 179 5,885 33 Totals .. .. .. .. .. 2,939 144,149 49

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Medical treatment of war pensioners during 1933-34 cost £69,131. Railway concessions to war pensioners on maximum permanent disablement pension and those with locomotive disabilities on permanent pension in excess of 50 per cent, cost £1,562 during the year. The loading paid on life-insurance policies of war pensioners due to war-service disability amounted to £167 for the year. Temporary war pensions to soldiers increased by 147 and permanent pensions to soldiers increased by 138 during the year. The 419 deaths among war pensioners are made up as follows : Soldiers, 161; widows of soldiers, 12 ; other dependants, 246. Discharged Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment Act, 1930. The rehabilitation of disabled ex-soldiers has been carried out with increasing difficulty during the past year owing to the continued economic depression and the very limited finance available for the purpose. The committees set up in terms of the provisions of the Act and the employment officers have made every endeavour to place disabled ex-soldiers in employment, and, although a fair measure of success has been achieved, it is becoming more evident that the ordinary channels of employment are practically closed to the disabled man by reason mainly of his inability through his disabilities to carry out work of a sustained nature. However, in some cases permanent employment has been secured, but mostly the work obtained has been of a casual nature. For the more seriously disabled men the system whereby ex-soldiers manufacture articles in their own homes and sell them through special shops in the cities continues to be the most successful solution of this problem, not only as a means of bringing in some small remuneration to the workers, but also in giving to each participant some definite encouragement that profitable use may still be made of what ability and craftsmanship he still possesses.

Statistics in regard to Civil Pensions.

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Old-age. Widows'. J Maori War. j Miners', j Blind. Epidemic. f 610* 1 Pensions in force at 31st March, 1933 .. 34,932 4,687 106 133 - )- j New pensions granted, 1933-34 .. .. 5,509 ■ 703 i 70 60 Deaths during 1933-34 .. .. .. 2,369 1 5 20 51 12 Cancellations during 1933-34 .. .. 565 766 .. 26 5 30 Net increase or decrease .. .. +2,575 —68 —20 \ —7 +43 —30 f 617* Pensions in force at 31st March, 1934 .. 37,507 4,619 86 119f / Total children in receipt of pension, 31st .. 9,442 .. .. .. 77 March, 1934 I Total European pensioners sixty-five years and ! 29,631 over at 31st March, 1934 Total female European pensioners sixty years 6,155 .. .. . ■ | to sixty-four years at 31st March, 1934 Percentage of European pensioners to total 2-4 .. . . • • European population Total Maori pensioners .. .. 1,687 366 30 .. 4J New claims lodged .. .. 0,708 802 .. 122 i 85 New claims rejected .. .. 1,298 111 .. 57 Number of children on whose account pension .. 1,556 Annual liability at 31st March, 1934 .. £1,403,375 | £301,388 £4,214 £56,184 £20,399 £2,635 Average pension per annum .. £37 8 4 i £65 5 0 £49 0 0 £76 6 9 £4611 5 £38 15 1 Gross expenditure for year 1933—34 .. £1,350,982 £302,020 £4,522 £56,810 £19,306 £3,2J0 Increase or decrease on figures of previous +£79,825 ; —£9,297 —£1,309 —£5,753 +£1,241 —£90/ Cost per head of European population .. 18s. 4d. | 4s. Id. 0-7d. 9-2d. 3-ld. 0-5d. Credit from national endowment .. •• £22,809 .. •• , •• •• Refunds paid to Public Account .. • £827 j £201 ... £5 £-1 Number of pensioners in homes and hospitals 1,121 .. 4 6 _ 114 Amount paid to controlling authorities of £47,009 .. £272 j £523 £5,586 these i ■ Number of pensioners in mental hospitals . . 1 157 .. .. 1 - Amount paid to Mental Hospitals Depart- £5,455 .. . • £55 ment on account of these Unpaid instalments as at 31st March, 1934 .. £6 ,031 £1,815 £-9 ; £220 : i-,8 £o Instalments forfeited and subsequently paid .. £1,512 £322 .. £56 £8 £3 Average of family under fifteen years ■■ 2-04 .. ■ '', Total claims lodged to date .. •• 133,790 ! ™! "ono Total claims established .. .. 105,400 15,637 1,698 2,125 o81 97-, Total claims rejected .. .. 27,811 2,65- 195 515 Total number of children benefited.. .. ■■ 37,935 .. . 1 : " ,, Total deaths .. .. •• •• 55,016 132 1,606 854 102 14 Total guardians appointed .. •• 345 . '' ., "nnr> Total cancellations .. •• 12,877 10,886 6 535 41 890 Grand total paid to date :. .. .. £21,857,128 £4,242,957 £601,253 £693,631 £129,639 £470,944 Total amount paid on account funeral expenses ■ . .. •• •• £/,649 Total credit from national endowment .. £740,946 j .. .. .. ■■ , ••• * Miners. t Widows. Total European population at 31st March, 1934, 1,476,026.

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Pensions granted, Deaths, and Cancellations in each Year, with Number in Force.

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i . Number of r« u I n Force i , , Number of n « In Force Year ended Jr • r-w Cancella- + t* j Year ended , u Cancella- n4 .T?„j o i t tvt V Pensions Deaths. Tio at End of Q1 Mail , Pensions Deaths. at End of 31st March, granted j *«»»■ Per i 0 d. 31st March > granted, j | tl0ns " Period. Old-age. Family Allowances. 1899-1900 12,186 824 77 11,285 1928 .. , 3,154 25 , 123 3,006 1901-1910 17,848 10,237 3,576 15,320 1929 .. 1,437 39 641 3,763 1911-1920 24,028 16,017 3,338 19,993 1930 .. 1,004 41 858 3,868 1921 .. 2,152 1,880 428 19,837 1931 .. 1,399 46 604 4,617 1922 .. 2,553 1,578 321 20,491 1932 .. 3,040: 56 269 7,332 1923 .. 2,781 1,763 328 21,181 1933 .. 3,841 68 785 10,320 1924 .. 2,549 1,870 392 21,468 1934 .. 3,022 68 1,129 12,145 1925 . .. 2,654 1,635 425 22,062 : —- 1926 .. 3,100 1,839 418 22,905 Totals.. 16,897 343 4,409 1927 .. 3,302 2,049 407 23,751 ' I 1928 .. 3,638 2,093 421 24,875 1929 .. 3,614 1,968 411 26,110 1930 .. 3,506 2,242 465 26,909 1931 .. 4.640 2,202 352 28,995 1932 .. 5,806 2,188 296 32,317 . 1933 .. 5,534 2,262 657 34,932 Maon War - 1934 .. 5,509 2,369 565 37,507 1913-1920 1,691 750 2 939 1921 .. 2 130 .. 811 Totals.. 105,400 55.016 12,877 .. 1922 .. 1 72 740 1923 .. 1 71 1 669 1924 .. 1 80 1 589 , 1925 .. 1 71 519 Widows. 192 g _ _ _ 74 1 444 1912-1920 5,817 47 2,326 3,444 ]927 .. .. 70 374 1921 .. 627 8 642 3,421 1928 66 .. 308 1922 .. 523 3 598 3,343 1929 .. .. 49 .. 259 1923 .. 616 12 536 3,411 1930 .. 50 .. 209 1924 .. 730 8 607 3,526 1931 ! 40 .. 170 1925 .. 602 6 524 3,598 1932 .. .. 27 .. 143 1926 .. 684 2 447 3,833 1933 36 1 106 1927 .. 705 6 562 3,970 1934 20 .. 86 1928 .. 761 4 629 4,098 1929 .. 823 5 584 4,332 Totals.. 1,698 1,606 6 1930 .. 702 6 655 4,373 1931 .. 815 9 613 4,566 1932 .. 798 8 647 | 4,709 1933 .. 731 3 750 4,687 1934 .. 703 5 766 4,619 War. Totals.. 15,637 132 10,886 „ 1916-1920 49,254 953 13,730 34,571 1921 .. 2,207 358 4,656 31,764 1922 .. 945 369 3,249 29,091 Blind. 1923 .. 625 358 2,898 26,460 1Q9 k iu I 114 1924 •• 551 361 3,484 23,166 If, " q 9 q " i 196 1925 .. 432 334 1,946 21,318 92? '• 46 6 4 232 1926 .. 353 369 586 20,716 InoQ qq 11 1 259 1927 .. 350 353 88 20,625 l l Z l •' 43 14 6 282 1928 .. 330 401 -6 20,560 }$£ " 47 10 8 311 1929 .. 398 360 -88 20,686 931 '■ 43 8 6 330 1930 .. 347 405 -111 20,739 1932 45 13 2 360 1931 .. 431 387 -242 21,025 !qoo "50 9 8 395 1932 .. 348 432 -100 21,041 934 " 60 12 5 438 1933 .. 352 400 -111 21,104 •• 1934 .. 365 419 *-264 21,314 T ° tals '' 581 102 4 L. '' Totals.. 57,288 6,259 29,715 .. * This represents 647 reinstatements less 383 actual cancellations.

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Pensions granted, Deaths, and Cancellations in each Year, with Number in Force —continued.

J. H. Boyes, Commissioner of Pensions.

Approximate. Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (535 copies), £8.

Authority : G. H. Lokey, Government Printer, Wellington—l 934.

Price Sd.]

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Iwnmbpr ofl ' „ „ In Force it j i iNumberof n In Force Ir?M h Prions I Deaths. ! C ™°° la " at End of Pensions I Deaths. at End of 31st March, ; j | turns. period 31st March, j granted . j tions. Period Miners'. Epidemic. 1916-1920 ! 683 133 135 415 1920 .. 939 1921 107 43 5 474 1921 .. 27 4 113 849 1922 .. 78 38 8 506 1922 .. 6 .. 172 683 1923 96 52 6 544 1923 .... 2 112 569 1924 .. 88 48 4 580 1924 .... 1 111 457 1925 .. | 111 70 14 607 1925 .. .. .. 92 365 1926 .. 96 50 13 640 1926 .... 1 51 313 1927 84 51 5 668 1927 .... 2 52 259 1928 .. ! 104 47 4 721 1928 .... 3 47 209 1929 94 53 2 760 1929 .. .. .. 21 188 1930 .. 86 59 8 779 1930 .... 1 27 160 1931 153 51 5 876 1931 .... .. 22 138 1932 .. 175 56 4 991 1932 .. .. .. 27 111 1933 .. 100 52 296 743 1933 .. .. -. 13 98 1934 .. 70 51 26 736 1934 .. .. • - 30 68 Totals.. 2,125 854 535 Totals.. 972 14 890 ..