UNEMPLOYABLE MEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 223, 20 September 1935, Page 16

UNEMPLOYABLE MEN.

ALLOWANCES TO VETERANS. SAFEGUARDS PROVIDED. (By Telegraph.—(Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. The War Veterans Allowances Bill, providing for an allowance to unemployable veterans who served in the Great War or South African War, was introduced in the House. This bill gives effect to the undertaking in the Budget that legislation will be introduced to cover those men who, although discharged from the forces apparently fit, have since developed disabilities due to their service but have not up to this point been a claim on the Pensions Department. The War Pensions Board, if it thinks fit, may refuse ah allowance to any person who is a notoriously bad character Or has been guilty of any offence dishonouring him in the public estimation. There is the right of appeal to the War Pensions Appeal Board, whose decision shall be final.

Allowances provided for under the bill are as follow: In the case of an unmarried veteran, £52 a year, diminished by £1 for every complete pound of his annual income in excess of £20; in the case of a married veteran or widowed veteran with dependent children, £52 a year in respect of a veteran's personal claim, £39 a year in respect of his wife, and £13 a year in respect of each dependent child, diminished in every case by £1 for every complete pound of the total income of the veteran, his wife and dependent children in excess of £39 a year. In no case is the total allowance to exceed £142 a year. No allowance is to be paid to the wife of a veteran unless she and her husband are living together, and no allowance is to be paid in respect of any child of a veteran unless it is being maintained by him as a member of his own household.

Provision is made that any allowance I granted under the bill is not to be [ assigned to any other person. An allowance is to stop on the death of the veteran, but the War Pensions Board may in its discretion pay to the wife or children such amount as it thinks fit, not exceeding in any case an amount equal to twice the amount of the total j annual allowance payable under the j bill. I

Persons who make false statements for the purpose of obtaining an allowance are to be liable on conviction to a fine of £100 or imprisonment for twelve, months.