WAR PENSIONS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 301, 14 September 1921, Page 9

WAR PENSIONS

DEPENDANTS OF DECEASED SOLDIERS 1 (Contributed by R.8.A.) Without a doubt this is one of the most intricate phases of tho great pensions problem owing to (1) the difficulty of determining what is the meaning of “dependancy,” (2) the wide range of dependants, and (3) the purely economic nature of the pension with no specified schedule for the guidance of the Pensions Board. The two main principles underlying pensions to dependants are (1) dependency on the soldier for the year (or more) prior to the war and (2) means of support at the time of application for a pension. These aro two important tests applied by tho Pensions Board to all applicants for a dependant’s pension, and the amount of pension is determined by these two teeters. A dependant is a member of a soldier's family who was wholly or partially dependent upon his earnings at any time with in twelve months prior to his joining tho N.Z.E.F.. Head this sentence carefully and you will see that it bristles with possibilities and difficulties. We venture to say that the Pensions Department and all returned soldiers’ associations have had more writing, more explanation. and more worry over this aspect of the pensions question than over the rest of pensions put together. The interpretation of the above sentence liea in the hands of the Pensions Board, the members of which in tho past have taken a fairly liberal view of "dependancy,” "partially,” and "any time. The specified dependants of deceased soldiers (in addition to a widow and children) are father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, stepfather, stepmother, brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, and mirable dictu mother-in-law. The cases in which the father or mother claim dependency are easily and liberally dealt with by the Pensions Board, because the members thereof have the power to grant a pension to them if they can show that they are in necessitous circumstances; it is no longer incumbent upon them to prove pre-war dependency. In all other cases the dependants making the claim for pension have to prove conclusively (1) dependency on the deceased soldier and (2) necessitous circumstances. In support of the latter they must be prepared to place before tho board their financial position, viz., the amount of income and property, they have. The, Government does not intend to pay out pension money to relatives already well off Please note, (1) that because a soldier has been killed it doos not necessarily follow that a pension must be paid, and (2) that the mere fact of having lost a son or relative does not necessarily imply that a pension must be paid to any of the above dependants. We know of a mother who lost two sons in the war; yet she does not receive any pension because (1) she is not at present in necessitous circumstances, and (2) she was not. dependent for a living upon the two boys immediately before the war. The amount of pension payable to a dependant is assessed by the Pensions Board, on ths evidence placed before it; there is no specified amount for any of the dependants except a widowed mother. If tho deceased soldier has neither wife nor children, a dependant may receive the same amount as a wife would have received, but not more than the actual amount received by that dependant during the year preceding, the date of the soldier’s enlistment in the N.Z.E.F. The widowed mother of a deceased soldier receives ■as much as a soldier’s widow without children, viz., Hl lOe. a week) (if her eon were a private), providing that she can prove that the deceased soldier was her sole means of support. . Furthermore, if the mother of a private can prove only partial dependency, she is entitled to receive up to half of the amount allowed a widow, viz., 15s. a week. These amounts, of course, would vary with tho rank of the soldier. Power has been given to the Pensions Board to grant a pension to any person, not otherwise defined by the Act as a dependant, who has not adequate means of support, if that person can prove that he or she has suffered material loss through the death of the soldier. Porli ap3 most of the persons who would benefit by this clause would be the "unmarried wives” of deceased soldiers.

A guardian’s pension up to 411 a week is paid to any woman having the control and care of a deceased soldier’s child. Unlike the Widow, the guardian’s private financial position is taken into consideration. No dependant’s pension is paid outside New Zealand \ except to widow, children, father, or mother. This article has been summarised ns follows:—

Parent—Amount determined by Pensions Board according to data supplied. Widowed mother—(a-) £1 10s. a week, if her son (a private), were her sole support; (b) 15s. a week,' if her son partially supported her. Grandfather, grandmother—Amount,'deter mined by the Pensions Board, would take a lenient view.

Brother, sister, grandson, etc.—-Pre-war dependency would have to be fully established and pension (if any) would be assessed on this and on present financial position of dependant. In no case would tho sum exceed- that which the dependant received from the soldier during the year previous to the war. Unmarried wives and non-blood relations —Amount determined by the board. The following figures show the Government’s liability to dependants since 1916:—

This increase in the number of pensions granted is probably due to the old dependants now having inadequate means of support, thus helping them to qualify for eligibility I to receive'a pension. Recognising the justice of increasing the pensions of widowed mothers who were totally dependent upon tho deceased soldiers for a living, the N.Z.R.S.A. intends to ask tho Government for an increase of 75 per cent, on the pensions they now receive.

No. of dependants’ Value Average. pensions. £ . 1916-17 .... 1667 50,872 30 1917-18 .... 3265 109,619 33 lSh.8-19 .... ' 4736 159.464 33 1919-20 .... 5705 192,347 34