SOCIAL SECURITY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 163, 22 May 1940, Page 2

SOCIAL SECURITY

SOME POINTS TO BE OBSERVED IN FILLING IN REGISTRATION FORMS^ It is said that a job well started is half finished and this is particularly applicable to the filling in of the Social Security Registration Form. If the names of the registrant (and particularly the surname) are entered clearly and distinctly in block letters and the Social Security Contribution coupon book number is furnished in the space provided '.hen at least an excellent commence merit will have been made and the reaction of the officer dealing with the form could be epitomized, "For this relief, much thanks." No difficulty should be experienced in understanding any of the questions on the form if the explanatory notes appearing there with are carefully studied before the replies arc entered, but it would obviously be impracticable to overburden the form by fully particularising all the numerous variants Avhich may be met with in exceptional cases. However, the cxercise of reasonable com monsense should provide the answer Place and Date of Birth. In entering place of birth under question 2 the country should be included as, for instance "Wellington, New Zealand," "London, England" etc. for it must not be overlooked that there are several "Londons" and at least five "Wellingtons"' other Than those best known to us, while the insertion of a name such as Zacatecoluca or Nagyszentmikles is almost certain to necessitate reference to a Gazetteer before the country can be definitely determined. "Date of birth" (the second question on the form) appears : 'J / be misunderstood in quite a number of cases. What is required here is not merely what is loosly referred to as the "birthday" or, more properly, as the anniversary of the birthday, but actually the day, month and year of birth. In other words, it is necessary that the actual age of each registrant should be ascertainable from the RegisterExercising Care. Great care should be exercised in completing question 9, which asks for grade of occupation under six specified headings, of which one only is to be marked. If the registrant considers that he or she comes partly under one heading and part- 1 ly under another, the one which is of the greater importance either on the basis of time occupied or pecuniary return derived is the one which should be indicated in the prescribed manner. Thus, a person working for wages and also owning a business in which he employs labour should mark square (c) unless tfie income derived from the business is appreciably greater than the wages, in which case he should lunar square (a). A married woman who. is also engaged in business should mark square (a) or (b) (according to circumstances) unless the business occupies only a negligible portion of her time and her main concern is keeping house for her husband and/or family. WHO IS REQUIRED TO REGISTER? AGE CONSTITUTION CHANGING Despite the wide publicity that has been given to the matter, the above is one of the questions which is now frequently asked and one that it is very easy to answer. The reply is "Every person, male or fe-< male, who is ordinarily resident in New Zealand and who is sixteen years of age or more. There is no upper age limit. The very few exceptions, which do not concern the ordinary citizen, are —the GovernorGeneral and full-time official representatives of overseas countries. It may be asked why elderly persons are required to register and this is an aspect of the matter which would have a good deal of point if the Register which is now being compiled were for Man-power purposes only. As its name indicates, however, the Register is also for Social Security purposes and will be an invaluable aid to the authorities in determining matters of policy A modern population-trend is that at one end of the scale persons are IlvlnS to a greater age 3.nd„ at the other end, proportionately fewer are being born, with the consequence that the age-constitution of the population is undergoing a slow but definite change. It will be obvious that, in connection with the administration of the Social Security Scheme of contributions and benefits this is one of the most im-*! portant matters on which the Grovernment must be fully advised.