‘No Govt tax on disabled’

Press, 15 June 1977, Page 12

‘No Govt tax on disabled’

j The Government is notii taxing the disabled to payli national superannuation to persons who already receive j. incomes of 520.000 to 530.0001 < a year, according to the J Minister of Social Welfare i; I (Mr Walker). I i Mr Walker referred to i (statements made by the I [member of Parliament for I Wigram (Mr M. A. Connelly) 1 [which were published in i (“The Press” on Monday. < I Mr Connelly said that the[< ■Government had failed to i fulfil its promises on the t provisions of the Disabled ■< Persons Community Wel-I ; fare Act. I ( The Government’s posi-l] tion would have been clear ( had the reply in Parliament j [to Mr Connelly been pub-[| [lished, Mr Walker said. j I “Mr Connelly knows thatl< all people pay a graduated ! rate of tax, depending on!’ their total earnings. Thep rates that apply today are| the same as those under the it Labour Government, except i [that National has given taxh

i relief to couples with preschool children.” Mr Walker said that the I Advisory Council for the [Community Welfare of the [Disabled was set up last year, .and bv order of this council the Disabled Persons Community Welfare Act was brought into effect. The recommendations of this advisory council were under examination by the Government, and a subcommittee of the council was [studying the legal rights of [ the intellectually handicapped, Mr Walker said. “Mr Connelly is also critical of the findings of the Domestic Purposes Review Committee. I doubt that he has even read the committee’s report. The benefit will be reduced for new applicants for the first six months, but it will be built up later when there is hardship, so that no-one will suffer.” The important thing was .the emphasis throughout the ■ report on the welfare of Children, Mr Walker said.