Benefit back pay — soon

Press, 2 August 1977, Page 5

Benefit back pay — soon

Social welfare beneficiaries have- been getting more money since last Wednesday —but the department in Christchiych can’t tell them when payment will be made. The increases, but not the amounts, were mentioned by the Budget given by the Minister of Finance (Mr Muldoon). These would compensate fully for price increases. The Director-General of Social Welfare (Mr S. J. Callahan) said that all social welfare benefits and incometested war pensions would rise by $4.84 for married couples and $2.90 for single beneficiaries. Benefits are now $68.84 for married couples and $41.30 for single beneficiaries, including invalids, widows, sickness, unemployment. and domestic purposes benefits. But Mr Callahan did not know when the increases

> ; would be passed on to the : beneficiaries. He presumed ' it would either be the next i payment or the following i one. A spokesman for the ■ Christchurch office of the department said that he did not s know when the increases • would be paid, but informa- ■ tion on the level of increases and the time they f would be paid out would be . made public soon. 1 A departmental circular • which details the new rates I and gives administrative inl structions and directions ar- : rived in Christchurch yesterday and was being studied. Christchurch beneficiaries I will still get the increases at ■ the same time as the rest of , New Zealand, because the ■ cheques are paid by com- ; puter from Upper Hutt. There are some exceptions, : which are prepared and paid i locally.