WAR PENSIONS

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21582, 19 September 1935, Page 12

WAR PENSIONS

Amending Bill Introduced

WIDENING SCOPE 0P ORIGINAL ACT [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, September 18. , In accordance with last night's budget promise, a War Pensions Amendment Bill was introduced tonight to widen the scope Of the original act in its relation to the dependants of dead and disable.* returned soldiers, and primarily to alleviate the position of a widow married more than two vears after her husband's discharge. Under the existing law such a widow is not entitled to a war widow's pension, even though the death of her husband may have been the direct result of his war service. On the introduce »i of the bill in the House of Representatives to-night, the Minister for Pensions (the Hon. J. G. Cobbe) explained that the proposal was to remove the two years' limitation and to recognise for pension purposes any marriage contracted withm seven years of a husband's discharge, subiect to a safeguard in relation to what might be termed "death bed marriages." Another alteration is the elimination of the statutory requirements of a "predeparture" engagement where a marriage took place after discharge and an application for a widow's pension subsequently arose. Under the present law the grantinr of a pension to a wife (as distinct from a widow) where the marriage took place more than two years after discharge, is a matter in which the War Pensions Board has discretionary power. The proposed amendmen' does away with the board's discretion, and provides a statutory right to a pension where the marriage was contracted within seven years of discharge, subject to (he existing condition in relation to income, property, etc. Provision is made also enabling pensions to be granted to dependents of members of the Royal Naval Auxiliary Patrol (Motor-boat Patrol) raised in New Zealand during the War, under the same condition as pensions to soldiers' dependents. The existing law does not permit the payment of a pension to such dependents, except in Supplementation of pensions granted by the British Government. Royal pension warrants do not recopnise marriages contracted after removal from duty on account of disability, and the class of Case covered by the amendment is one in Which a husband may be pensioned and a wife not pensioned because Of the date of marriage.

ALLOWANCES TO VETERANS

DELAYED EFFECTS OF WAR SERVICES PROVISION MADE IN BILL [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, September 18. Provision for the payment of pensions to unemployable veterans who served in the Great War or in the South African War is contained in the War Veterans Allowance? Bill,. introduced and read a first time in the Hous° Of Representatives to-nignt. The bill follows up the announcement in the budget that the Government intended to provide for the increasing number of returned men who Were suffering disabilities which could not, on the evidence available, be accepted by the War Pensions Board as being attributable to or aggravated by war scrvics. The legislation involves allowances at the following rates: £52 a year for a veteran; £39 a year in respect of his wife; £l3 a year in respect of each dependent child under 16. Where there is income from other sources the allowance is reducible, in the case of an unmarried man by £1 for every £1 of income in excess of £26 a year, and in the case of a married man by £1 for every £1 in e.-cess of £39 a year. The maximum allowance that may be granted to any family is £143 a year. ■ The bill, which will apply to all men who served with units in actual engagements with the enemy, and who may be classed as line soldiers, embraces in addition to former members of the New Zealand forces at the Great War, former members of other British forces who were bona fide residents of the Dominion at the beginning of the war, and former members of the New Zealand South African war contingents. An applicant for benefits under this scheme is, however, required to have resided in the Dominion for five years immediately preceding the date of his application. Questions of Fact Whether an applicant is permanently unemployable by reason of mental or physical infirmities shall be a question of fact to be determined by the War Pensions Board. An allowance may be refused to an applicant who is of notoriously bad character, or who

has been guilty of any gross offence or misconduct dishonouring him in the public estimation, but such aft applicant will have the right of appeal. Where an allowance is refused on the ground that an applicant is not unemployable, no allowance will be payable to or in respect of a wife of a veteran unless they are living together, and no allowance will be payable'in respect of any child unless it is being maintained as a member of a veteran's household. The allowance pavable in respect of a child who, by reason of any mental or bodily affirmity, is prevented from earning its livelihood may be continued if the board thinks fit over the age of 16. It is proposed that where a veteran dies leaving a widow or children, the War Pensions Board shall have power to make a grant to the dependents not exceeding the equivalent of two years' allowance. The allowances will be paid monthly. ~ „ » Penalties are provided for false declarations and for other offences.