QUEUES OF OLD PEOPLE

Evening Star, Issue 25635, 8 November 1945, Page 4

QUEUES OF OLD PEOPLE

PAYMENT OF AGE BENEFITS IMPROVED SYSTEM ADVOCATED (Special.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 8. An improved system of payment of the ago benefits, was advocated when the Social Security Amendment Bill was in the committee stage in the House of Representatives last night. The question was also raised of whether a simple method could be devised' for the payment of the family benefits consistent with, the Sesire to ensure that the money was used in the interests of the ; children. . “ Is there some way of preventing age beneficiaries having to queue up tat post offices every month? ” asked Mr F. Hackett (Govt;,. Grey Lynn) . / He. pointed out that the defence authorities found a way of sending vouchers to the dependents of 100,000 service-, men, Possibly something could be% done in the way ■ of' making payments in different weeks to different groups, because it was not everyone who could line up from 8 o’clock until midday to get the payment. Some suburban post offices • could do very little ordinary business on the day the age benefits were paid, and it had even been suggested that they should cease delivering parcels on that day. The (Minister of Social Security, Mr Parry, replied that the method of payment to beneficiaries had been the subject of much thought, and if things could be made easier the department would. be • glad to do so. Cheques,, if issued, had to be cashed, and, there might be queues at the hanks. From experience, his officers considered it unwise to ask old people to handle cheques. They, might get more into tho hands of the grocer, and they had already had a pretty sorry experience of that with the Maori people, were the tradesmen had been the agents. - Mr J. Aeland (Nat., Temuka) said that he could not see why the family , benefit payments could not be made direct to the post office .savings accounts of beneficiaries. .

Cognisance .would be-taken of,. the suggestions of members, said the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, who added that ho was particlilarly anxious to see if some means could not be found of helping the mothers in country districts. The Minister of Finance, .Mr Nash, said he certainly did not think it was desirable to have long queues, particularly in the case of old people, when the. weather was no good. They wanted to do what every member had advocated, but it was just a case of finding out how. . * Th Minister of Health, Mr Nordmeyer, said that there appeared to he some confusion in the minds of some" . people who were recipients of social security. They thought that they must be present to get their payments on the first day the amount was-' payable. It should be more generally * known that tl\ey could delay collecting the amount for some time, and this would result in less queuing up for payments. .. Mr F. W. (Nat., Tauranga) said that public attention had been attracted to the payment of 10s for each child, but he would like to know if any provision had been made to ensure that the money was actually used for the benefit of tho child. Some mothers, he said, might be tempted to buy a new frock,, or fathers might have another beer or place a bet. , • Mr Parry said they had .to accept the position, and give as much freedom as possible to people, but they would take action to bring to book : people who violated .the principle of the ‘Act. That was about, as far as they could go in that respect; otherwise they would be trespassing on very dangerout ground. , * „ - Mr A. E. Armstrong (Govt., papier) said that discretion must be loft to the mother about the . expenditure of .the child allowances, ' «