H.—lB

4

Summary of Payments, 1917-18. £ £ Paid through. Post Office (£504,274, less outstandings £27) .. .. .. 504,247 Less payments on account of Commonwealth pensions .. .. .. 8.631. Less payments on account of Canadian pensions .. .. .. ... 230 Less payments on account of Imperial Government to dependants of munition workers .. .. .. .. . .. .. 320 9,187 -195,060 Paid by High Commissioner in London .. . . .. . . . . .. 12,567 Other foreign payments .. . . .. . . . . .. .. . . 294 Paid by Commonwealth Government .. . . . . . . .. . . 2,925 Lump sums paid .. .. .. .. .. . . .. .. 105 Allotments paid after casualty (subsequently charged to war pensions) .. .. .. 4,494 £515,445 Summary of Total Actual Payments to 31st March, 1918. £ From Ist September, 1915, to 31st March, 1916 .. .. .. 13,910 Year 1916-17 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 180,389 Year 1917-18 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 515,445 £709,744 Increases under Amendment Act, 1917. Summary of yearly values of increases affecting pensions in force when Act came into force— i.e., on Ist January, 1918 : — j. Disablement pensions (soldiers) .. .. .. .. .. 21,900 Disablement pensions (wives) .. .. .. .. .. 2,700 Widows' pensions .. .. . . . . ... . . . . 25,000 Children's pensions.. .. .. .. .. .. ..8,900 Widowed mothers' pensions .. . . .. . . .. . . 5,200 Permanent pensions (soldiers) .. .. .. .. .. 1,000 Pensions for attendants . . .. . . .. . . . . 250 Supplementary pensions (soldiers) .. .. .. .. .. 1,500 Supplementary pensions (widows) .. .. .. .. .. 500 On account of marriages after discharge . . . . .. .. 750 Section 16 (aggravated cases) . . . . .. . . .. 1 ,000 Camp cases (leave without pay) .. .. .. .. .. 1,500 Total.. .. .. .. .. .. .. £70,200 OLD-AGE PENSIONS. European. Maori. Total. Pensions in force at 31st March, 1917 .. .. .. 18,941 756 19,697 New pensions granted, 1917-18 .. .. .. ..2,037 109 2,146 Deaths during 1917-18 .. .. .. .. ..1,467 68) , B<v> Cancellations, 1917-18 .. .. ... .. .. 324 24) ' Net increase .. .. . . .. . . .. .. 263 Pensions in force at 31st March, 1918 .. .. .. 19,187 773 19,960 Year 1917-18. Total European population at 31st March, 1918 .. .. .. .. .. 1,104,783 Total European pensioners, 65 and over, at 31st March, 1918. . .. .. .. 16,799 Female European pensioners, 60 to 64, at 31st March, 1918 .. .. .. .. 2,388 Percentage of European pensioners to total European population . . .. . . 1-73 New claims lodged ' .. .. .. .. . . . . . . . . 2,841 New claims rejected .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 586 Annual liability at 31st March, 1918 (statutory pension) .. .. .. .. £481,369 Annual liability at 31st March, 1918 (including allowance under Finance Act, 1917) .. £704,849 Average pension (statutory) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. £24 Average pension (total) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. £37 Gross expenditure for year (statutory pension) .. .. .. .. .. £502,085 Gross expenditure for year (including allowance under Finance Act, 1917) .. .. £643,177 Increase on figures of previous year .. .. .. .. .. .. £162,947 Cost per head of European population .. .. .. .. .. .. 11s. 7d. Credit from National Endowment.. .. .. .. .. .. .. £30,148 Refunds paid to Public Account .. .. .. .. .. .. .. £566