H—9

BENEFITS AND PENSIONS IN FORCE AND TOTAL PAYMENTS

COST OF ADMINISTRATION Excluding expenditure of £16,725 on capital items, administration costs fpr the year amounted to £558,934, including £83,572 in respect of the administration of war pensions and allowances. This represents 2-66 per cent, on total payments. GENERAL (1) FAMILY BENEFITS At 31st March, 1946, there were 42,637 family benefits in force, representing payments in respect of 151,361 children. With the abolition of the means test in respect of family benefits from Ist April, 1946, the Commission anticipated that a further 180,000 families would participate in the scheme and that family benefits would be paid in respect of approximately 335,000 additional children. In anticipation of the large influx of new applications which would be received, the Commission made arrangements for applications for benefit to be accepted in offices of the Social Security Department prior to Ist April, 1946, as it was realized that a task of some magnitude was ahead of the Department if payments to the new beneficiaries were to be made as early as possible. Arrangements were therefore made to have application forms available in all postoffices and district offices of the Department by 25th February, 1946, and from that date onwards a large flow of applications has been received. Up to 31st March, 132,000, or 73 per cent., of the anticipated total were received. 2—H 9

9

As at 31st March, 1945. As at 31st March , 1946. Class. Number in Force. Annual Value. Total Payments, 1944-45. Number in Force. Annual I Value. Total Payments, 1945-46. £ £ 1 £ £ Universal superannuation 53,679 1,073,580 995,035 56,181 1,264,073 1,185,508 Age 104,653 8,665,268 8,492,015 110,060 11,589,318 9,817,615 Widows 10,965 1,019,745 985,452 11,507 1,153,001 1,043,593 Orphans .. 421 22,080 23,253 400 21,540 24,178 "Family 24,251 1,750,922 1,405,113 42,637 3,935,395 2,611,759 Invalids 12,205 1,083,804 1,072,619 12,164 1,411,024 1,183,537 Miners 783 73,093 74,367 736 101,182 88,359 Maori War 1 | 85 78 1 ! 104 101 Unemployment 198 27,822 205 j 31,661 Sickness 4,233 351,866 5,416 j 565,420 Emergency 2,083 105,843 2,094 121,959 War, 1914-18 20,849 2,059,116 2,046,005 20,460 2,015,934 1,997,390 War, 1939-45 20,584 1,662,564 i 1,407,460 26,926 1,923,166 1,662,227 War veterans' allowances 1,892 242,962 242,501 2,029 292,482 275,029 Boer War (Defence Act, 1909) 45 3,629 3,243 46 3,564 3,547 Mercantile Marine pensions .. 18 1,632 1,652 26 2,857 1,879 Emergency Reserve Corps .. 12 1,427 1,228 11 1,286 1,351 Sundry pensions and annuities 151 18,574 ! • 17,512 162 16,960 17,560 Civil Service Act, 1908 3 1,400 1,471 3 1,400 1,260 War and other pensions paid 3,225 263,543 322,454 3,121 260,045 301,548 on behalf of the Governments of Great Britain, Australia, India, Canada, South Africa, and Crown colonies Totals ... 260,251 17,943,424 17,576,9'89 294,185 23,993,331 20,935,481