Recipients ‘better off under super.’

Press, 27 May 1978, Page 11

Recipients ‘better off under super.’

Wellington reporter People are better off now under the national superannuation scheme than they would have been under the previous age benefit, according to the Assistant DirectorGeneral of Social Welfare (Mr J. W. Hazlett). Today, under national superannuation, a married couple receives $BB gross a week, less $10.86 in tax, giving $77.14 net. Married couples will be entitled to television and telephone concessions until August 31. If the age benefit had continued, a married couple would received $73.80 a week, plus the added value of telephone and television concessions of $1.20, worth $75 a week in total. Married couples were better off under, national superannuation by $2.14, Mr Hazlett said, even if the telephone and television concessions were not still available, .which they were. A single person would receive $53.28 per week under national superannuation today, less tax of $7.54, giving a net weekly payment of $45.74 — plus the value of the two concessions, Agebenefit payments would be $44.28 a week, plus the concession of $1.20, worth $45.48 a week.

A single person was only 26 cents a week better off under national superannuation than on

the age benefit, but was also entitled to the $1.20 a week concession. ‘•National Superannuation will go to 80 per cent of the average ordinary time - weekly wage on August 31,” Mr Hazlett said. On the October, 1977, Labour Department halfyearly survey figures — the results of the latest April survey were not yet available — this would be $9920 a week gross for a married couple and $59.52 gross for a single person. The April, 1978, survey would undoubtedly give a further rise beyond these figures, he said. Telephone and television concessions would be drawn completely from National Superannuation by August 31, 1978, but the higher rate medical benefits would continue. Railways fare concessions were administered by the Railways Department, but this was intended to stop on August 31. Local bus concessions were a matter for local bodies and varied throughout New Zealand. However, these figures are for married couples and single people with no source of income other than the national superannuation scheme. Other sources of income would vary the amounts and rates of taxation, and make comparisons between the new and old schemes much more complex.