PENSIONS FOR SOLDIERS' DEPENDANTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 54, 28 November 1918, Page 4

PENSIONS FOR SOLDIERS' DEPENDANTS

AND THE INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC,

The Second Division League has received a number of inquiries as to. wliother the dependants of soldiers who have died in New Zealand as a result of. the influenza epidemic are entitled It war neusions. • Mr.H Al Armstrong, president of the league, stated yesterday) that under the War Pensions Act as amended last ses- ■ sion there was no doubt whatever that pensions would be payable to dependants, properly entitled to same, in all cases of death while in receipt of military pay, whether the death occurred in camp or outside camp. The Act, however, did not cover the possibility of death occurring while thu soldier was away from . camp on special' leave without pay, and in such cases, where claims were made, the Pensions Board would have tt) decide' how far military service was responsible for the death. The same condition, would apply, to claims made oji account of the death of soldiers recently discharged. ' ; The provisions of the Widows Pensions Act (Civilian) should al6o be taken fully into consideration at this time. Under this Act claims may be made .by the widows of soldiers in addition to their military pensions, the receipt Of which does not disqualify. Pensions may also be scoured by all other widows' (with children) whose general conditions comply with the provisions of the Act. Under this measure; a widow with children can get £6 per annum for herself and dCG per annum ■ for each child under fourteen, with a further JIG per .annum for each.thild as a war bonus. Widows, without children are not eligible for these .pensions. under the Civilian Act. There are deductions made of ,£1 per annum for every «C 1 of annual.income of the widow and her children in excess of ,£3O, Such assessment, howevdr, does not include personal earnings which do not exceed <£100 per annum, and Section 29 of the War Legislation Amendment Act, 191G, particularly lays down that tho income derived from war pensions does not debar a widow and- her children from benefiting under the civilian scheme. Property is reduced to income value at the rate of 5 per cenl. on capital value. Furniture and personal effects i are noil inciuded in assessing the value of property nor is any dwelling used- as a homo up to ,£MO value.' It is therefore possible for a widow with properly to the total value of ,£9lO, of which ,£3lO is property used' as her own homo and no other income than personal earn, ings of not more than per annum, to obtain tho full benetit of the civilian willow's pension,

Tho executive of (ho league, aided Jlr. Armstrong, was pleased to note that' tile Government was contemplating soma comprehensive scheme to copo with the distress following tho epidemic; but in the meantime sufferers could got soma small measure of assistance by availing themselves at once of die provisions under the Act ns outlined.