WELFARE WORK BY STATE

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29002, 17 September 1959, Page 12

WELFARE WORK BY STATE

Advice Service

For Pensioners

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. Sept. 16. The immediate public response to the Family Benefits (Home Ownership) Act, which provided for the value of a family benefit to be capitalised and paid as an advance for housing purposes ■ was illustrated by the chairman ’of the Social Security Commisi sion iMr A. E. T. Williams) when ihe addressed members of the justices of the peace association today. This provision came into operation on April 1 last, and by April 16, 12.000 applications had been i received. There had been little j diminution in the number of I applications since then. Mr Williams was surveying i present day social security as (something more than a matter of I paying benefits and pensions. I The practical elimination ot ‘ financial hardship as a factor in Ithe New Zealand way of life had j made more clearly recognisable other factors militating against social security, Mr Williams said iTo combat these factors a. corps lof trained welfare workers was (being built up to advise and 'encourage the problem cases. i Such things as laziness, intemiperance and poor home manageiment often required a more perIsonal touch before their effect lon security could be reduced or ■eliminated. Results so far had been very J encouraging and this aspect of 'welfare work would be expanded las trained workers became available. A further extension of public service recently instituted was a counselling and advice service to help beneficiaries and others on matters not necessarily related to the payment of benefits or the 'giving of financial aid. If assistance could not be given directly, such people could often be referred to a more appropriate organisation. The most recent innovation was I the home repair service which provided advances of up to £2OO to enable beneficiaries to have essential repairs made to their homes.