Tuberculosis Patients To Have Bigger Social Security Benefits

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27698, 30 June 1955, Page 16

Tuberculosis Patients To Have Bigger Social Security Benefits

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, June 29. A new social security benefit would be introduced for sufferers from tuberculosis, said the Minister ol Social Security (Mr E. H. Halstead) today. It would be more generous than the present sickness benefit foi which tuberculosis patients qualified. The new benefit, which was in fulfilment of a Government election policy undertaking, would be introduced- as soon as administrative arrangements could be made betweer the Social Security Commission anc the Department of Health, said the Minister. “We have been guided by two main thoughts in instituting this new benefit,” Mr Halstead said. “We wish to ease the particular disabilities which the long duration of this disease entails for sufferers, and we wish to give further encouragement to the national campaign against tuberculosis. Those are the reasons why both the Social Security Commissioi and the Department of Health have been brought into the scheme.” The Minister announced the rates for the new tuberculosis benefit as follows: Beneficiaries 20 years of age and over, £4 10s a week; married men with dependent wives, £8 10s. Where there is a dependent family the normal child benefit of 10s a week will be supplemented by a further 5s for each child. A case quoted by the Minister a: an example of the increased benefits which would be available when the new scheme came into operation, was that of a married tuberculosis sufferer with a dependent wife and three dependent children.- Under the existing sickness benefit provisions, the total social security payments to this family including child benefits, would be £8 10s a week; under the new benefit, the payment would be £lO 15s, in-

eluding the supplemented child benefit. The allowable income provision under which 30s might be received each week without any reduction o. the benefit, would apply to the new benefit, said the Minister. To qualify for the new benefit, an applicant must be a notified and registered case o:’ tuberculosis in any form which was active, or was inactive but not yet arrested. Chronic cases of tuberculosis which were not infectious would be given special consideration. “The aim of the new and increasebenefit is to enable sufferers from tuberculosis to provide themselve: and their families with the standards of accommodation and food proper to the circumstances.” Mr Halstead said. “This is a move in the interests of public health generally, as well as in the interests of those who suffer from the disease,” Mr Halstead said. “We are making encouraging progress with the anti-tuberculosis campaign to the extent that its incidence has so fallen that we have been able to close some hospital accommodation, and decide not to proceed with other planned accommodation. “It is the Government’s earnest hope that this special benefit, by easing the pressure on sufferers to return to work too early, will be of further help,” said the Minister. Mr Halstead said the Social Security Commission and the Department ol Health would co-operate fully in the administration of the scheme. The commission would inquire into and decide eligibility for the new benefit Mr Halstead paid a tribute to Mrs G. H. Ross, the Minister of Social Welfare, for the help she had given in evolving the scheme. A statement on the scheme will be made by the Minister of Health (Mr J. R. Hanan) shortly.