Pensioners In Nursing Aided

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30395, 20 March 1964, Page 3

Pensioners In Nursing Aided

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, March 19. Recent adjustments had sufficiently protected the pensions of widows and other social security beneficiaries who took up part-time nursing, the Minister of Health (Mr McKay) said today. He had been asked what progress had been made in protecting these pensions, and had been reminded of the claim made last year that because nurses’ pay had risen, part-time nurses were working fewer duties so that their pensions would not be cut. Mr McKay said that from January 1 the allowable income for most social security benefits was increased from £156 a year to £2OB. In addition, where the beneficiary engaged in nurs-

ing or domestic employment in a private home, hospital or other charitable institution, an additional exemption of up to £7B a year was allowed. “A social security beneficiary who has no other income is in general entitled to earn £286 a year from employment in a hospital without reduction in her Mr McKay said. “This income is treated on an annual basis and can be earned in continuous fulltime employment for part of the year, in casual employment, or in regular part-time employment at £5 10s weekly. “Where the beneficiary receives a widow’s benefit and has a dependent child, or children, the allowable income is £260 a year plus, where the earnings are from

hospital, nursing or domestic employment, a further £7B yearly.” When the Government gave consideration to increasing the allowable income late, last year, Mr McKay said, it had

to keep in mind that it would be inequitable to place a parttime employee of a social security benefit in a better financial position that a fulltime employee who has no such benefit. “In addition, a social security beneficiary has the right to ask for suspension of her benefit while in fulltime employment,” he said. “In this way, her earnings

during the period of suspension are disregarded in the assessment of her benefit. “Having regard to all the factors involved, the Government feels that the recent increase to £2OB a year enables beneficiaries to supplement their benefits to a reasonable extent without producing too many inequities in relation to fulltime employees.”