THIRTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PENSIONS DEPARTMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1935.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1935 Session I, H-18

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1935. NEW ZEALAND.

THIRTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PENSIONS DEPARTMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1935.

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

The Commissioner op Pensions to the Hon. the Minister of Pensions. Sir, — Pensions Department, Wellington, Ist August, 1935. 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 sundrypensions, and family allowances, for the year ended 31st March, 1935. 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.

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As at 31st March. 1934. As at 31st March, 1935. Class of Pension. m ± i ; Total Total Number. Annual Value. Payments, Number. Annual Value. Payments, 1933-34. 1934-35. £ £ £ £ War.. .. .. .. 21,314 1,228,572 1,246,441 21,678 1,264,375 1,264,110 Old-age 37,507 1,403,375 1,350,982 40,141 1,583,413 1,519,889 Widows' .. .. .. 4,619 301,388 302,020 4,505 294,437 296,565 Maori War .. .. .. 86 4,214 4,522 65 3,185 3,607 Miners' .. .. .. 736 56,184 56,810 783 60,510 58,740 Epidemic .. .. .. 68 2,635 3,290 34 1,563 1,983 Blind .. .. .. 438 20,399 19,306 474 22,151 21,227 Boer War .. .. .. 52 2,082 2,163 53 2,108 2,084 Sundry pensions and annuities.. 135 12,367 11,678 139 12,176 12,120 Civil Service Act, 1908 .. 16 4,933 5,917 15 5,073 5,211 Family allowances .. .. 12,145 151,765 146,766 12,321 151,169 152,818 Totals .. .. 77,116 3,187,914 3,149,895 80,208 3,400,160 3,338,354 Cost per head of European population : 1933-34, £2 2s. 8d. ; 1934-35, £2 5s.

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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

WAR PENSIONS. Summary of War Pension Payments.

The amount paid for the year ended 31st March, 1935, shows an increase over the preceding year of £17,669.

Summary of Annual Liability as at 31st March, 1935.

War Pensions payable outside New Zealand as at 31st March, 1935.

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, D . Annual Average Payments, Government. Class of Pension. 31st March, Value _ Pension. 1934-35. 1935- £ £ s. d. £ Great Britain .. .. War .. .. 1,423 74,188 52 0 0 \ 1fi1 qo fi „ .. .. Army and civil .. 737 51,576 70 0 0 J ' Australia .. .. .. War .. .. 483 22,880 47 7 5 24,109 India .. .. .. Army and civil .. 63 14,128 224 0 0 17,812 South Africa .. .. War .. .. 5 442 88 0 0 327 .. Civil .. .. 30 3,269 109 0 0 4,734 Crown Colonies .. .. „ • ■ 35 8,577 245 0 0 13,482 Canada .. .. .. War .. .. 2 253 126 7 10 481 Totals.. .. .. 2,778 175,313 .. 222,931

Payments made in — Total. London. Australia. Canada. Africa Countries. ew ea ' an^- £ £ £ £ £ £ £ Total payments to 31st 965,628 544,142 31,899 5,289 9,035 20,657,669 22,213,662 Māreii 1934 Payments in 1934-35 50,191 38,218 2,447 616 768 1,171,870 1,264,110 Total payments to 31st 1,015,819 582,360 34,346 ! 5,905 9,803 21,829,539 23,477,772 March, 1935 1

„. , t. Number of Number of . , Average Class of Pension. Pensioners. Children. ' Pension. £ £ Soldiers (permanent) .. .. .. 9,986 43 535,055 54 Soldiers (temporary) .. .. .. 3,875 59 272,935 70 Dependants of disabled soldiers .. .. 2,230 4,312 161,464 72 Widows (without children) .. .. 1,149 .. 106,095 92 Widows (with children).. .. .. 263 499 41,530 158 Other dependants of deceased soldiersParents .. .. .. .• 3,833 1 131,695 34 Other adult dependants .. .. 83 ■ • 2,354 28 Guardians of children .. .. 259 485 13,247 51 Totals, &c 21,678 5,399 1,264,375 58

Wives and Soldiers. Parents of Dependants. __ Soldiers. : Annual Liability Permanent. Temporary. Temporary. Widows. Dependants £ Great Britain.. .. 274 77 36 143 416 49,860 Australia .. .. 294 191 41 54 139 39,546 Otter countries ..53 21 3 6 28 4,912 Totals .. 621 289 80 203 583 94,318

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Economic Pensions payable at 31st March, 1935.

War Pension Appeals. Appeals outstanding on 31st March, 1934 .. .. .. . . 265 Appeals lodged during 1934-35 .. .. .. .. .. 947 1,212 Appeals dismissed during 1934-35.. .. .. .. ..417 Appeals upheld during 1934-35 .. .. .. .. .. 434 Appeals withdrawn and struck out, 1934-35 .. .. .. 36 887 Appeals outstanding on 31st March, 1935 .. .. .. 325 Percentage upheld, 48-9 per cent. The total number of appeals dealt with to the 31st March, 1935, was 6,414, the percentage upheld being 48 per cent. Of the 887 cases dealt with during the past year, 530 were heard at Auckland, 52-4 per cent, being upheld ; 106 at Wellington, 34-9 per cent, being upheld ; 102 at Christchurch, 41 per cent, being upheld ; and 149 at Dunedin, 51 per cent, being upheld.

Medical treatment of war pensioners during 1934-35 cost £67,912. 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 £1,684 during the year. The loading paid on life-insurance policies of war pensioners due to war-service disability amounted to £175 for the year. Temporary war pensions to soldiers increased by 113 and permanent pensions to soldiers increased by 300 during the year. The 445 deaths among war pensioners are made up as follows : Soldiers, 146 ; widows of soldiers, 9 ; other dependants, 290. Family Allowances. The claims lodged during the year totalled 2,481, which, with the 262 outstanding from the previous year, made a total of 2,743 to be dealt with. Of these, 2,166 were accepted and 295 rejected. Of the rejected claims 135 represent cases where the income of the family was in excess of the limit allowed. 430 new claims from Maoris were finally dealt with during the year, 328 being granted and 102 rejected. The total children of the 12,321 allowances in force as at 31st March, 1935, and those in excess of two in a family numbered 54,040 and 29,398, the average per family being 4-39 and 2-39 respectively. The total amount paid during the year was £152,818, while the total annual value of all allowances in force at the close of the year was £151,169.

Weekly Rates at which Allowances granted.

Numbers according to Size of Family.

Weekly Incomes of Families.

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Average Class. Number. Annual Value. Annual Grant. £ £ Soldiers with permanent pensions .. .. .. 1,370 71,202 52 Soldiers with temporary pensions .. .. .. 1,357 71,010 52 Widows with children .. .. .. .. 59 1,392 24 Widows without children .. .. .. .. 209 6,498 31 Widowed mothers .. .. .. .. .. 180 6,217 35 Totals 3,175 156,319 49

Weekly Rate. Is. 2s. 3s. 4s. 5s. 6s. 7s. 8s. 9s. 10s. 12s. 14s. 16s. 18s. Number granted 8 1,249 8 497 3 233 J 2 94 1 48 18 4 .. 1

Number of Children | 2 3 4 5 6789 in Excess of Two. Number of families .. 1,240 497 243 101 54 22 6 3

„ T , , T m j j Over £1 and up Over £2 and up Over £3 and up r>™. ro k„ Weekly Income. £1 and under. tQ £2 _ to £3 . F to £3 5s. Over £3 5s. Number of families .. 178 983 642 337 26

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Cost or Administration. The cost of administration for the year amounted to £63,819, the principal items of expenditure being £31,197 for salaries of officers of the Department, who numbered 171 as at 31st March, 1935 ; £18,183 and £3,264 paid to the Postal Department respectively for payment of pensions and postage and telegrams ; £3,884 for salaries and other expenses of the War Pensions Appeal Board ; and £2,118 for salaries of the War Pensions Board. The. percentage of cost of administration to the total pension payments made of £3,561,284 (including £222,931 paid on behalf of other Governments) was 1-79, or 4-3 d. in the pound. Legislation. Sections 13 and 14 of the Finance Act (No. 2), 1934, provided for the maximum rate of old-age pensions to be increased from £40 19s. to £43 per annum as from Ist April, 1934. The same legislation increased the income exemption from £39 to £41 and the limiting amount of income and pension for married couples from £121 to £127 per annum. By section 15 of the same Act the income and pension limit of those South African War veterans in receipt of additional pension to the old-age pension under the provisions of section 45 of the Pensions Act, 1926, was increased from £79 19s. to £84.

Statistics in regard to Civil Pensions.

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—— Old-age. Widows'. Maori War. Miners'. Blind. Epidemic. Pensions in force at 31st March, 1934 .. 37,507 4,619 86 / ?iZj. \ 438 68 I J New pensions granted, 1934-35 .. .. 5,934 687 .. 124 70 Deaths during 1934-35 .. .. .. 2,744 2 21 48 24 Cancellations during 1934-35 .. .. 556 799 .. 29 10 34 Net increase or decrease .. .. .. +2,634 —114 —21 +47 +36 —34 Pensions in force at 31st March, 1935 .. 40,141 4,505 65 115-j- J" 474 34 Total children in receipt of pension, 31st .. 9,196 .. .. .. 34 March, 1935 Total European pensioners sixty-five years and 31,679 over at 31st March, 1935 Total female European pensioners sixty years 6,617 to sixty-four years at 31st March, 1935 Total Maori pensioners .. .. .. 1,800 371 22 .. 59 J Pensioners under section 7 (b), Pensions Act, 45 1926 Percentage of European pensioners to total 2'6 European population New claims lodged .. .. .. 7,331 777 .. 210 92 New claims rejected .. .. .. 1,309 95 .. 75 28 Number of children on whose account pension .. 1,516 granted. Annual liability at 31st March, 1935 .. £1,583,413 £294,437 £3,185 £60,510 £22,151 £1,563 Average pension per annum .. .. £39 8 11 £65 7 2 £49 0 0 £77 5 7 £46 14 8 £45 19 5 Gross expenditure for year 1934-35 .. £1,519,889 £296,565 £3,607 £58,740 £21,227 £1,983 Increase or decrease on figures of previous +£168,907 —£5,455 —£915 +£1,930 +£1,921 —£1,307 year Cost per head of European population .. £1 0s. 6d. 4s. Od. 0'6d. 9-5d. 3-4d. 0-3d. Credit from national endowment .. .. £37,374 .. Befunds paid to Public Account .. .. £632 £148 .. .. £32 Number of pensioners in homes and hospitals 1,113 .. 6 6 115 Amount paid to controlling authorities of £49,343 .. £265 £381 £6,488 these Number of pensioners in mental hospitals .. 166 .. 1 Amount paid to Mental Hospitals Depart- £6,264 .. .. £24 ment on account of these Unpaid instalments as at 31st March, 1935 .. £6,660 £1,359 .. £141 £54 £3 Instalments forfeited and subsequently paid.. £1,596 £365 £12 £21 £46 Average of family under fifteen years .. .. 2'04 Total claims lodged to date' .. .. 141,121 19,116 1,893 2,857 883 Total claims established .. .. .. 111,334 16,324 1,698 2,249 651 972 Total claims rejected .. .. .. 29,120 2,747 195 590 226 Total number of children benefited.. .. .. 39,451 Total deaths .. .. .. .. 57,760 134 1,627 902 126 14 Total guardians appointed .. .. . . 364 Total cancellations .. .. .. 13,433 11,685 6 564 51 924 Grand total paid to date .. .. .. £23,377,017 £4,539,522 £604,860 £752,371 £150,866 £472,927 Total amount paid on account funeral expenses .. .. .. £8,168 Total credit from national endowment .. £778,320 * Miners. f Widows of miners. f Pensions may be granted to males sixty years and over and to females fifty-five years and over in cases where two or more children under fifteen are being maintained. The forty-five cases above comprise : European — Males, 60 and under 65, 37 ; females, 55 and under 60, 5 ; Maori' — Males, 60 and under 65, 3. Total European population at 31st March, 1935, 1,485,046.

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

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v i j Number of „ „ ! In Force „ _ , , Number of „ ,, In Force q] 6 )-M v Pensions Deaths. .. 6 ~ at End of . /jjj 313 Pensions Deaths. ®?°® ' at End of 31st March, granted _ tions. | period 31st March, granted _ faons. 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 1832 .. 3,040 1 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 1935 .. 2,166 ! 63 1,927 12,321 1926 .. 3,100 1,839 418 22,905 r 1927 .. 3,302 2,049 407 23,751 Totals.. 19,063 406 6,336 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 Maori War 1932 .. 5,806 2,188 296 32,317 ' „ 1933 .. 5,534 2,262 657 34,932 {913- 1920 1,691 750 2 939 1934 .. 5,509 2,369 565 37,507 .. 2 130 811 1935 .. 5,934 2,744 556 40,141 Jjjg .. 1 72 .. 740 Totals.. 111,334 57,760 13,433 .. •• 1 80 1 589 iyzo .. l 11 .. oiy w ., , " 1926 .... 74 1 444 Wldows ■ 1927 .. .. 70 374 1912-1920 5,817 47 2,326 3,444 1928 .... 66 .. 308 1921 .. 627 8 642 3,421 1929 49 259 1922 .. 523 3 598 3,343 iqo 0 " " 50 " 20 q 1923 .. 616 12 536 3,411 1931 " " 1 40 " 17 0 1924 .. 730 8 607 3,526 1932 " 27 " 143 1925 .. 602 6 524 3,598 " i 10 K 1926 .. 684 2 447 3,833 1934 " 20 86 1927 .. 705 6 562 3,970 19 o 5 " " oi " «5 1928 .. 761 4 629 4,098 " " H 1 1929 .. 823 5 584 4,332 Totals.. 1,698 1,627 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. 1935 .. 687 2 799 4,505 1916-1920 49,254 953 13,730 34,571 — 1921 .. 2,207 358 4,656 31,764 Totals.. 16,324 134 11,685 .. 1922 .. 945 369 3,249 29,091 1923 .. 625 358 2,898 26,460 Blind. 1924 .. 551 361 3,484 23,166 1925 .. 114 .. 114 1925 .. 432 334 1,946 21,318 1926 .. 92 9 1 196 1926 .. 353 369 586 20,716 1927 .. 46 6 4 232 1927 .. 350 353 88 20.625 1928 .. 39 11 1 259 1928 .. 330 401 -6 20,560 1929 .. 43 14 6 282 1929 .. 398 360 —88 20,686 1930 .. 47 10 8 311 1930 .. 347 405 -111 20,739 1931 . 43 18 6 330 1931 .. 431 387 -242 21,025 1932 .. 45 13 2 360 1932 .. 348 432 —100 21,041 1933 .. 52 9 8 395 1933 .. 352 400 —111 21,104 1934 .. 60 12 5 438 1934 .. 365 419 -264 21,314 1935 .. 70 24 10 474 1935 .. 463 445 *—346 21,678 Totals.. 651 126 51 .. Totals.. 57,751 6;704 29,369 * This represents 728 reinstatements less 382 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 (650 copies), £9.

Authority: G. H. Loney, Government Printer, Wellington.—l93s.

Price fid.]

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„ , , Number of _ „ In Force , r , , Number of „ „ In Force Year ended Deaths. Cancella- atEndof Yoar ended p Deaths. Ca « cella " atEndof 31st March, granted _ turns. 1>6rl0(L 31st March, grant8 , L tions. Perk)(L 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 .. Ill 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 1935 .. 124 48 29 783 1935 .. .. .. 34 34 Totals.. 2,249 902 564 .. Totals.. 972 14 924