SICK BENEFITS

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22795, 22 August 1939, Page 13

SICK BENEFITS

TO THE EDITOR OT THE PRESS. Sir,— Replying to my letter under the heading “Sick Benefits,” your correspondent, ■ “Experience,” states that I mentioned only part of the facts about sick benefits., With your permission I will state a few more. I wonder how many farmers, orchardists, market gardeners, their wives and daughters know they cannot claim any sick benefit under the Social Security Act. (After all, the Government collects from them in taxes.) The following abbreviated conversation between a farmer and a kindly officer of the Social Security Department illustrates the truth of my statement. . . Farmer: Officer, my wife is m hospital for an operation. Is there any chance of her receiving help under the Social Security Act when she comes home until she is stronger? Officer: No chance whatever. She received no wages before she was ill, so suffers no loss of weekly earnings. Farmer: Well, put it this way. Instead of just casually handing the money over to my wife to pay the household expenses, I pay her a wage for looking after the house and family. She would then have to pay wage tax. Is that right? Officer: Certainly. Farmer: If she was ill she would lose that wage. Would she be entitled to receive sick benefit then? Officer: Oh, no. She would not. Your crops and potatoes are still growing, so you are not losing your income. So evidently persons who have lambs fattening, cows milking, fruit or vegetables growing, etc., will suffer disillusion if they think they can claim sick benefit. I agree with “Experience” that the doctors are sympathetic with sufferers; but they send their bills in afterwards. Why not? Everyone should be paid for his work. My contention

is that if the department demands a doctor’s certificate it should pay the bill. As it is, in the case of a-youth receiving only a fifth of 10s the first week and 10s a week alter, it takes three weeks’ benefit to pay the doctor; and if continuation medical certificates are required it is a case of ' poor patient.—-Yours, etc., A CONFIDANT. August 21, 1939.