PENSIONS BILL

Evening Star, Issue 22578, 20 February 1937, Page 3

PENSIONS BILL

NOW £6|DOO,OOD EFFECT OF LABOUR'S REVIEW [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, February 19. The annual value of pensions of all classes now in force in the Dominion is nearly £6,000,000. The increase in the bill is due largely to the Government’s review of the pensions legislation, which Parliament passed last session. Some illuminating and authontative figures were quoted to a aeputation to-day by the Minister of Pensions (Mr Parry) showing details of the increases. “ The figures make interesting reading ” remarked the Minister, and show the number of increased pensions since Parliament removed the anomalies which bad long existed in our legislation.” . . , Expressing the opinion that the amendments to the. pensions laws, which came almost immediately into operation on their being passed by the Legislature, were part of the policy of the Labour Party in the General Election, the Minister said that he doubted if any member of the community would cavil at the scope of the amendments. “ Eulogistic commentaries on the pensions provisions now in force, continued Mr Parry, “have come from all sections of the public, showing that all realise how great was their necessity.” The Minister said that the claims received for the 12 months ended March 31, 1936, including old Tire widows’ invalidity, miners and family allowances, totalled 10,938. The claims received for the 10 months ended January 31, 1937, totalled 27,443, and the claims granted during the 10 months ended January 31, 193(, totalled 19,714. The only class showincr a reduction was family allowances, no° doubt due to the increased employment and the higher wages. The number of pensions in force at present and their annual value were as follow: — —At March 31, 1936. Annual Value Number £ „„„ ftS “ffl Smy % 71000 Miners’ 82, ,1,000 r SS; Totals 60,199 2,370,000 —At March 31, 1937. Annual Value Number £ Old age ... 52,015 2,975,000 WidowV 4 678 505,500 Invalidity ... 6.14.0 420,000 Miners’ 1,020 90,600 vie J^ooo Totals 73,569 4,127,100 The Minister said that the number of wives and children in respect of whom pensions were paid in the various classes was as follow: — Wives Children Widows’ pensions ... Invalidity F 993 Mic Miners’ °9l 416 Family allowances ... ■ Total 2,284 57,156 The War Pensions Department, administered bv the Minister of Defence (Mr Jones) ' had also to administer 23,654 war pensions, 2,024 war veterans’ allowances, and 2,810 pensions on behalf of the Imperial and other Governments, Tho total number and the estimated annual value of those pensions now being administered were as follow: Annual Value Number £ Under the Pensions Act, 1926, and Family Allowances Act, 1926 73,569 4,12t,100 Under the War Pensions Act, 1915 25,678 1,661,000 On behalf of other Governments ... 2,810 176,500 Totals 102,057 5,964,600 “ I have given you, gentlemen,” stated Mr Parry, “ full information of the results which the new pensions legislation has brought, of the benefits and comforts to the deserving, whose oases all members of the community must and wish to recognise.” At his instance the Commissioner of Pensions (Mr H. Digby-Smith) had recently visited all the larger centres of the North Island to meet persons whose claims for pensions’ benefits had not been passed because they did not come apparently within the scope of the legislation. His tfeport and the correspondence from the claimants made plain the thorough and painstaking way in which Mr Digby-Smith went personally into the large mimber of cases which came before him. Many of the claims, fortunately, it was found possible to grant, and others required further looking into to see whether certain features of them could he brought within the law. He was satisfied of the good that the method of personal contact between the chief executive officer of the department and the claimants had achieved. Mr Parry paid a high tribute to the untiring efforts of the 260 officers of the Pensions Department in dealing with the increased work the administration of the new legislation had given.