Social Security Cash Payments Over £19 Per Head

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23339, 23 August 1950, Page 9

Social Security Cash Payments Over £l9 Per Head

(Special) WELLINGTON, Aug. 23. Cash benefits granted last year under the social security system involved just over £37,000,000, which, according to the annual report of the department tabled in the House of Representatives yesterday, equals £l9/13/1 per head of population. The means test came into 53.1 per cent, of payments and 48.1 of the claims were not subject to this requirement. The expenditure on cash and health benefits combined exceeded £45,000,000 of which the sum of £25,600,000 was paid without the means test. The total numof benefits in force. 473, 328, equalled 2473 per 10,000 of population. Descried Wives It is disclosed in extensive statistics covering the operations of the fund that the sum of £194.421 was paid to deserted wives, but the department secured £65.010 through maintenance orders against husbands, this being 33 per cent, of the expenditure. Social security benefits and pensions payments last year exceeded £42,000,000 the 'largest groups being age benefit, £15.000,00 and family benefit for 254,920 children, £14,850.000. The Dominion’s war pension bill included in the total slightly exceeded £5,000,000. The 191418 war pensions were £2,271,000 and the pension liability in respect of the Second World War amounted to £2,010,000.