Most Pensions Rise By 6s A Week

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30533, 31 August 1964, Page 6

Most Pensions Rise By 6s A Week

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 30. Superannuation, age, widows, invalids, miners, sickness, unemployment and related emergency benefits, war economic pensions, wives’ pensions and war veterans’ allowances are to be increased by 6s a week from September 9, the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) announced yesterday. There will be no increase in the family benefit.

Mr Holyoake said the additional mothers’ allowance for widows and war widows with dependent children would also be increased by 6s. Orphan’s benefits and orphans’ war pensions would be increased proportionately. Mr Holyoake said about 300,000 benefits were involved. They would be reviewed immediately but it was “to early to say when payment of the increase will be available." The increases will cost an additional £4,500,000 a year. Mr Holyoake said the maximum benefit for a single person would rise from £5 to £5 6s and for a married couple from £9 to £9 12s. These amounts, he said, represented an increase in most cases of more than the 6 per cent rise granted by the Court of Arbitration.

Because of the special position of widows with dependent children, the Government proposed to increase their allowable income from £5 to £6 a week—in addition to the increase of 6s a week in the widows’ benefits and 6s a week in the mothers' allowance for these widows. The allowable income for other beneficiaries was increased from £3 to £4 from January 1 this year, Mr Holyoake said. “The Minister of Social Security (Mr McKay) and the

Minister in Charge of War Pensions (Mr Kinsella) will be announcing further details as soon as administrative arrangements have been settled,” said Mr Holyoake. “Though, it is the policy of the Government to review benefits and pensions after Arbitration Court decisions, adjustments are not necessarily made only as a result of these orders. In fact, as well as' the increase in benefits and pensions after the last General Wage Order in 1962, a further increase was awarded from July 17, 1963,” Mr Holyoake said. “The Government is aware of the need for those who have to rely on these benefits and pensions for their livelihood, to share in the national income. For this reason the

rates are frequently under review, and this present increase—as with the increases in 1962 and 1963—implements the National Government’s promise to the electors. CLOSE WATCH “It is an integral part of the Government’s basic policy to increase the rates of benefits, other than family, from time to time having regard to increase in national income, wages and the cost of living.

“The Government intends to watch closely any secondary effects that the General Wage Order has on the living standards of beneficiaries and pensioners and to consider any further adjustment that may be necessary to the rates of benefits and pensions,” Mr Holyoake said.