LONDON, December 20. OLD AGE PENSIONS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7383, 8 February 1902, Page 3 (Supplement)

LONDON, December 20. OLD AGE PENSIONS

Last May Mr Chamberlain suggested that the great friendly societies should formulate a practical scheme for old age pensions, and promised that the Imperial GoA-ernment would "almost certainly" take up a •workable scheme" based on the "knowledge and experience" of the societies. The societies have taken him at his word. The Executive Committee appointed by the Conference on the subject last September has now drafted the folloAving scheme: — The amount of the pension is fixed at 5/ a week, and to qualify for this a person must be a British, subject, sixty-five years old, Avho has made a proper effort to make proA-ision for himself, been of good character botAveen the ages of thirty-five and sixty-five, and avlio is not in receipt of an income from any source other than a superannuation* or pension fund of more than 5/ a Aveek. The pension authority shall be a committee consisting of members of the local goA'ernment authority, and representatives of local friendly societies in the proportion of tAvo to one, the final selection of such representatiA r e resting Avith the committee of the local governing authority. Pensions may be withdrawn if considered desirable, and there is to In; no appeal from decisions giA r en. A section of the scheme relates to general conditions governing the pensions. If a person watts till he is seventy before applying he is to receive" 7/6 instead of 5/ a week, but no one is to be in receipt of poorIbav relief and a pension at the same time. A clause forbids any recipient from working for wages Avithout the consent of the pensions authority, who shall be specially careful of introducing the competition in a district of labour thus subsidised by the State. Pensions are subject to annual review, are not transferable or attachable, involve, no civil disabilities, and may be paid to either man or Avoman and to both husband and Avife. It is suggested that the cost of the old age pensions shall be borne by* the Ilmperial Exchequer borne by local taxation in the proportion of tAvo to one. Copies of tho scheme Avill be sent to every lodge of every, friendly society, and another conference is to be convened to meet in London in February, io consider it. If it then meets with general approAal a deputation aa-HI be appointed to lay it before the Government.