Cash-asset assistance limit ‘demoralising’

Press, 22 April 1977, Page 10

Cash-asset assistance limit ‘demoralising’

Own reporter Greymouth

An increase in the cashasset limit on assistance which may be granted to elderly persons for payment of fees for private rest homes (other than private hospitals) was the subject of a successful remit to the annual Christchurch Diocesan Conference of the Catholic Women’s League in Greymouth. The remit from St Mary’s (Manchester Street) branch asked that the Minister of Social Welfare (Mr Walker) be asked to increase the limit. It said that at present if such a person's income, including national superannuation, was insufficient to pay fees, assistance for this purpose could be granted by the [Social Welfare Department, provided that the person’s cash assets did not exceed $6OO for a single or widowed

and $l2OO for married [persons.

The branch considered that the $6OO cash asset limit was “much too low, unrealistic and demoralising.” It suggested that a more realistic figure would be $2OOO (single or widowed) and $4OOO (married persons). TRAFFIC REMIT The same branch also had a remit passed asking the Minister of Transport (Mr McLachlan) to revoke the regulation permitting the overtaking of a vehicle which has slowed down or stopped at a pedestrian crossing. It. was stated that the regulation required an overtaking driver to stop first and make sure that he could pass more than four metres in front of any pedestrian, and could then overtake.

“The purpose of a pedestrian crossing,” said the branch in a note to the remit “is to provide safe crossing for pedestrians not to expedite the flow of traffic. “The elderly, the infirm and young children are likely to be endangered physically and psychologically by vehicles overtaking on pedestrian crossings.

“The regulations present an additional hazard in the fact that the safety of pedestrians is dependent on the ability of motorists to calcu-

late the required four metres, their own speed and that of pedestrians all in a split second. It is too bad if the frightened pedestrians begin to run.

“Pedestrians are entitled to the security of knowing that a stopped car will remain halted until the required area of crossing is clear,” the branch commented. CHILD HEALTH

The narrow defeat on Wednesday of a remit from the Sumner branch calling on the Minister of Health (Mr Gilb to provide free health care of children under the age of five years was the subject jof further discussion at the conference yesterday. The resolutions committee recommended that the conference take note of the concern expressed by many branches for the health needs — preventative and curative medicine — of young chiWiren.

It recommended that branches take some action in this field by participating in existing educational programmes in Plunket Society’, play-centre and church groups or by initiating and carrying out some such programme. This was adopted by the conference. Next year’s conference will be held in Christchurch in April.