ANOMALY IN PAY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 153, 30 June 1944, Page 2

ANOMALY IN PAY

REHABILITATION GRANT R.S.A. SUGGESTS REMEDY (Special Reporter) WELLINGTON, this day. During a debate on rehabilitation at the conference of the R.S.A. : Dominion Council, Mr. R. Mason j (Auckland) submitted a remit dealing j with an anomaly in the payment of j the rehabilitation allowance, based { on cases recently reported by the Auckland branch. Mr. Mason stated I that the allowance had been refused i because the men said they would return to work they had been forced j to give up because of illness after i having returned to civilian life, i whereas had they been going to other employment the remainder of the 13 weeks' rehabilitation allowance would have been paid to them. In the meantime the men were thrown on Social Security with a total income of 32/6 a week. Mr. Mason said the spirit of the allowance was to tide over servicemen during a difficult period and that had not been implemented. When the question was referred to Mr. C. W. Batten, of the Rehabili- ; tation Board, he stated that the cases quoted seemed to be entitled to payment and it was a matter for the local committee. Mr, A. P. Postlewaite (Auckland) said that there was far too much humbug about such cases. They never came before the local committee because the rehabilitation officer acted under definite instructions from the board. i The council passed a resolution that the rehabilitation allowance be paid to discharged servicemen or their dependents even if they had been previously temporarily employed once their intention was to return to their previous job, such pa3 r ments to be made within the present statutory period of 12 months after discharge.