WAR PENSIONS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 134, 4 December 1930, Page 8

WAR PENSIONS

AUSTRALIAN FIGURES RISING

£7,762,508 A YEAR

(From "The Post's" Representative.) SYDNEY, 25th November. Latest Commonwealth figures show that 14 years after the institution of the war pensions system the number of pensions in force is still rising, and it is admitted by tho officials that the peak period cannot be forecasted. This is a serious matter for the Government, for it knows that the public would not countenance for one minute any reduction in the scale of pensions. In the circumstances it is almost impossible for the Government to tell what its obligations are going to be. On 30th June last there were 279,285 war pensions in force, involving an expenditure to the Commonwealth of £7,762, 508 as compared with 272,031 and an annual cost of £7,639,814 for the year ended 30th June, 1929. The rapid expansion of the system is shown by comparison with the figures for 1916 and 1924. In 1916 8754 war pensions were being paid, costing £368,800. By 1924 the figures had risen to 236,761, and the cost to £6,015,761. It is apparent that the war pensions paid to childron born of war pensioners arc-largely responsible for the huge increase in the cost. Of the pensions that are payable at present more than 200,000 arc drawn by dependants of pensioners and of deceased members of the Australian Infantry Force. Only 74,5.78 former soldiers are on the pensions list. There are 65,243 wives and widows drawing pensions, 110,656 children, 7678 widowed mothers, 16,174 by other mothers, 3075 by fathers, 697 by brothers and sisters, and 1185 by "others." Tho average rate of pensions per fortnight is £1 17s 9d in the case of war pensioners, and 15s 4d for dependants. Thus 170,437 members of the A.I.F. are drawing an average of 15s 4d every fortnight. There has not been a single year since the inception of the war pensions system in which the number of pensions has not steadily increased. During the year ended 30th June last 13,650 new pensions were granted, and only G442 were cancelled or discontinued. Of the new pensions granted only 1317 went to former soldiers, and 9522 were awarded to children and 2374 to the wives of ex-soldiers.