AGE BENEFITS

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23915, 6 April 1943, Page 4

AGE BENEFITS

REDUCTION IN CASES OF OTHER INCOME CHANGE NOT FAVOURED ' BY GOVERNMENT The Government is unable to consider favourably at present the suggestion that recipients of age benefits under the Social Security Act should b-; allowed to have other sources of income without a proportionate reduction being effected in the age benefit payments. This reply has been made by the Minister in charge of social security (the Hon, W. E. Parry) to a suggestion from Associated Chambers of Commerce.

A copy of the reply received yesterday by the Canterbury Chamber stated that in determining age benefits there were definite limits of other income allowed, and to extend or remove these limits would bring within the ambit of the social security age benefit provisions many persons now denied grants because of their other income, and would entitle beneficiaries receiving reduced grants to additional assist, ance. Regarded in this light, the Minister said, it would be readily understood that by removing the income limitations the Government would have to budget for a considerable increase in the expenditure from the Social Security Fund. It was not thought that the time was opportune for such a move.

In an endeavour to facilitate the absorntion into industry of age beneficiaries, the Minister said, an amendment was recently introduced by which the Social Security Commission

was able to exclude income received by a beneficiary during the period his age benefit was forfeited and to grant a full age benefit from the date the earnings ceased. Many beneficiaries had taken advantage of this'concession and had surrendered their age benefits to take up employment.

The remarks of the associated chambers would not' be lost sight of when the Government found it possible to extend and improve the conditions of payment of benefits generally.