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Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXV, Issue 12965, 14 September 1936, Page 5

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TO BE PAID TO PENSIONERS ON THURSDAY. 60,000 PENSIONS AFFECTED. MINISTER’S TRIBUTE TO STAFF. (Press Association). ROTORUA, Sept. 12. It has been made possible for Sta.;e pensioners throughout the Dominion to receive on Thursday next the increases of pensions recently granted by Parliament.

The Minister of Pensions (Mr, Parry) stated to-day that approximately 60,000 pensions will be affected by the increased payments to be made by the legislation. The maximum old age pension was increased from 17/6 a -week to £1 a week from Jwst 1 last and to 22/6 a week fro m December 1 next. The Minister also said that alterations in the method of calculating the pension would menu that a far greater proportion of pensioners than . formerly would receive the full pension. Among very beneficial improvements in the hr.v was one providing that a woma.i under 65 should now have no deduction made from her pension in respect of her age. In'a great majority of cases, he said, a deduction was formerly made in respect of property, which provided little or no income. These ivere now eliminated.

Paying a Avartn'tribute to the staff of the . Pensions Department in perfuming Avhat lie described as an almost herculean task in getting ready so quickly the vouchers to enable the hack-pay of pensions to be handed over to them on Thursday. Mr. Parry said that he had discovered from investigations he had made on taking up the office of Minister for Pensions at the beginning of the year that the State had in its pensions department a staff from the Commissioner to the junior officers Avhich, in competence and readiness to serve in any emerge 1 cy, could not be excelled. “I have nothing but praise for the Avork these officers have performed,” the Minister said. “There have 1 been in* estigations and consequent alterations going on in the Pensions Department for some time noAV, and these haA r e placed a big burden of additional work on the men and AA’omen of the Department and all of it has been carried out with a thoroughness and expedition AAdiioh has earned for tlio staff the highest commendation. Any alteration of a pension means a tremendous amount of extra Avork, which carries Avith it much overtime for the staff. The uninitiated can get a fair idea of this by understanding that there is a pensioner or pensioners in almost every part of the Dominion. Vouchers have to be prepared and accurately placed, so that the payments can bo made at all places simultaneously. “The new legislation AA r as assented to by the Governor-General on September 4. By Avorking seven days in the Aveek on recomputing and assessing the arrears of pensions payment* as from July 1, the Department 'is able to pay on Thursday to pensions the money due to them. These men and AA’omen of the staff realise Avhat it means to the old people to have the extra money awarded to them by Parliament and it has been their aim to see that the pensioners receive it quickly. This is a fma spirit which. T 'feel, will ho fully appreciated.”