FRIENDLY SOCIETY

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 257, 28 July 1939, Page 5

FRIENDLY SOCIETY

Scheme To Fill Gaps In Social Security AUCKLAND DISTRICT By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, July 27. Without altering its fees and scale of payout, the Manchester Unity Order of Oddfellows in the Auckland district has approved of a plan of benefits, which, it is claimed, will fill many of the gaps of the Social Security scheme. There are 10,000 members, each averaging three dependants in the Auckland district, which embraces .half of the North Island. A managerial circular to members states that the society will continue district hospital funds and make cash payments to members for themselves, their wives or children of the respective amounts that were formerly paid to hospital authorities for indoor maintenance in public or private hospitals. The effect of the decision will be a weekly payment of £l/11/6 to the member for himself or his wife and 15/9 for each of his children, should they become patients in a public or, private hospital in New Zealand. Financial arrangements have been made with public hospital boards under the Social Security scheme for free maintenance of indoor patients. Provision is also made for the payment of 6/- a day toward the cost of maintenance of patients in private hospitals. The circular points out that the State does not provide for the payment of the fees of outdoor patients, but that these will, as formerly, be paid to members out of the district hospital fund, in addition to ambulance charges. The circular also refers to the failure of the Social Security scheme to define the duration of the weekly sick payment, and advises members that the society will pay sick benefits of £1 a week for the first 52 weeks and 10/thereafter, in addition to the eost of medical attention and medicine included in the usual Friendly Society scheme.