SOCIAL SECURITY

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 August 1943, Page 4

SOCIAL SECURITY

INCREASE IN BENEFITS PAYMENTS TO HOSPITALS WELLINGTON, August 17. The increases in the age and pension benefits announced in the Budget are provided for in the Sdcial Security Amendment Bill, which was introduced and read a first time in the House of Representatives this afternoon. Authority is also contained for the payment of benefits to deserted wives. The new rates are retrospective to July 1, 1943. The basic rate of the age benefit is increased by £6/10/- per annum, this amount including the present cost of living bonus of 1/6 a week. Another clause raises the allowable income of married couples where only one of them is on benefit. For a married couple both receiving the benefit the limit of income and benefit is as follows: benefit for wife, £B4 10/-; benefit for husband, £B4/10/-; other income allowed, £52; total, £221. By the amendment the position for a married couple where only one is on benefit will be as follows: benefit for person on benefit, £B4 10/- other income allowed, £136 10/- total. £221. The present rate of benefits for children of age beneficiaries is increased from £26 per annum to £27/6/-. The maximum benefit of £234 a year in any particular case has been increased to £260.

Power is given in another clause to increase the rates of age benefits granted to parents of deceased members of the forces or of the mercantile marine. The war servicemen’s dependants’ allowance may now be paid to any such parent if he or she would have been eligible for a war pension under the War Pensions Act. In effect, an age beneficiary is able to receive compensation for the loss of a son. The rates of benefits for widows are also increased by 5/- weekly, both for widows with or without children. This means that the basic rate of £52 a year for a widow without children will now be £65. For a widow with children the basic amount is £65 a year, plus £26 for children. The basic rate is now to be increased to £7B a year, while that for children remains unchanged. The maximum benefit obtainable is to be increased from £234 to £26.0. Another clause gives effect to the Government’s promise to make more adequate provision for deserted wives. Where a woman with children is deserted, the widows’ benefit may be paid, and proceedings under the Destitute Persons Act instituted against her husband for maintenance. The basic rate of the orphans’ benefit is increased from £39 to £4O 19/-, and the rate of the family benefit is increased from 6/- (inclusive of the cost of living bonus) to 7/6 weekly. Exempted income is increased from £5 to £5/5/INVALID BENEFIT

The basic rate of the invalid benefit is increased from £7B to £B4 10/- per annum for adults, and from £52 to £5B/10/- for minor applicants. The limit of the benefit is increased from £234 to £260. There is also a change in regard to the increased benefit payable when nursing or domestic assistance is actually paid for in the case of married women invalids. To enable income exemption to remain as at present, the limit of income and benefit of £5 weekly has been raised to £5/2/6 a week. Similar increases are also made m connection with miners’ benefits, while the benefit for miners’ widows is increased from £45/10/- to £52 a year. The sickness benefit provisions are adjusted to bring the rates of children’s allowances into line with those of other beneficiaries. The rate is fixed at. 10/6 weekly, while sickness benefits for minors between tne aces of 16 and 20 years are increased to that figure. Children of unemployment beneficiaries will also receive an increase of from 5/- a week for each child to 10/6. Maori war benefits for veterans are increased to tne basic amount of £B4/10/- per annum. By another clause the Social Securitv Commission is authorised to "rant a benefit for a child over 16 years of age at the date of the grant for the purpose of assisting in the child’s further education. . . The Social Security Commission is empowered to adjust anomalies due to payment of the social secuiicy charge and the national secuiity tax, when a beneficiary is in receipt oi any class of monetary benefit. The regulations providing for tne increase of 9/- a day in the rate of payment for hospital benefits ioi inpatients are validated in the Bill, and are made retrospective to April 1, 1943. This means that as regards treatment in private hospitals an additional 3/- a day will in some cases be paid to a person who has paid an Whereas the principal act provided that payment was to be made to the licensee or a hospital, tne Bill provides for payment to patients and others who have paid accounts. Local authorities are obliged to pass on to individual ratepayers the benefits of the reduction in contributions to hospital boards as the result ot additional payments to them for hospital benefits. . Compensation or legacies up to £5OO are not to be regarded as income for benefit purposes, even it the money has not been expended.

RECIPROCITY WITH AUSTRALIA

WELLINGTON, August 17. Provision for reciprocity in age and invalids benefits between New Zealand and Australia is made in the Age Benefits and Invalids Benefits (Reciprocity with Australia Bill, which was introduced and read a first time in the House of Representatives to-day. After the passing of the Bill it is to be brought into force by proclamation. The Bill states that where a person resident in New Zealand previously lived in Australia his residence in the Commonwealth will be regarded as residence in the Dominion in regard to social security, age and invalids benefits. Where the person had become blind or permanently incapacitated for work in Australia before coming to New Zealand, his incapacity or blindness shall be regarded as having taken place here for the purpose of the Social Security Act. It is stated that a person shall not be qualified to receive the age benefit or invalids benefit unless he complies with the more restrictive conditions of the laws of New Zealand, and of the Commonwealth in respect to the granting of the benefit, and of the corresponding pension in Australia. The rate of the benefit is not to exceed the maximum rate of the benefit or pension payable under the law of the country which provides the lower maximum rate.