CHILD BENEFIT PAYMENTS

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 26617, 20 June 1958, Page 12

CHILD BENEFIT PAYMENTS

New System Announced

(Neto Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 19.

The Government’s intention to pay Social Security benefits by means of books containing orders which may be cashed at any post office, money order office, or Social Security paying office, or lodged to the credit of a bank account was announced by the Minister of Social Security (Miss Howard) in the House of Representatives this evening. Miss Howard said that, since 1946. when family benefit beneficiaries had been given the opportunity to have the benefit paid into a Post Office Savings Bank account about one third of the women receiving the family benefit had done so. When deciding on the new method of payment, the question of family benefits credited to savings bank accounts had also been considered. The opportunity to have family benefits credited by the department to a savings bank account would be continued. Instead of credits being made each month, however, they will be made each eight weeks. Beneficiaries will not lose any interest as the credit will be made in the middle of each eight-week period. It is proposed to effect the change to eight-weekly credits of family benefits from October this year. Crediting family benefits each eight weeks, instead of each month as at present, is expected to reduce by half the work involved for the 120.924 benefits paid into savings bank accounts