PENSIONS AND BONUS CONCESSIONS

Evening Star, Issue 19002, 25 July 1925, Page 3

PENSIONS AND BONUS CONCESSIONS

extension irrespective op INCOME DISQUALIFICATION

ADDITIONAL COST, £IIO,OOO

Tha total net expenditure for the year ended March 31, 1925, amounted to £2,403,614. War pensions accounted for £1,242,182; old ago pensions, £804,969; widows’ pensions, £235,959; others, £120,504. .These figures include the sum of £37,177 from national endowments on ncuvnut of old age pensions, and £2,529 from gold duty in respect of miners’ pensions. The grand total of expenditure for war pensions to March 31, 1925, is £11,382,178. Under the amending legislation of last year old age pensioners having no income or property were granted, in addition to the full pension of 15s weekly, an allowance of 2s 6d a week, making the total payable 17s 6d weekly. Widow's’ pensions w'ere also increased to £1 ■weekly for a widow with one child, plus 10s weekly for each additional child, wdth the maximum pension payable of £4. weekly. Further benefits in respect of both old age and widows’ pensions were granted by . increased exemptions in respect of income and property. The annual cost of these increases is £140,000. It is proposed this, year to extend the allowance of 2s 6d per week as an addition to the old age. pensions of 15s per week to all pensioners irrespective of the income’or property disqualification now restricting its payment, the annual cost of which is estimated at £IOO,OOO. Pensions for the blind at the rate of 15s weekly plus subsidy of 25 per cent, for personal earnings, were established by last legislation, and up to March 31, 1925, 114 pensions under this head had been granted. These pensions 'will also be entitled to the allowance of ,2s 6d referred to in the preceding paragraph. The estimated charge for 1925-26 for these pensions is £IO,OOO.