Higher War Pensions, Allowances

Northern Advocate, 25 August 1943, Page 2

Higher War Pensions, Allowances

<P.A,i WELLINGTON. This Day. Tne increase in war pensions and allowances in the Budget are provided ior in tnc* war Pensions Bui introduced last night in the House of Representatives. It also provides for increases in respect of the following: Certain specific disabilities, war veterans' allowances, cases ol' total blindness and. in cases where two or more serious disabilities have been incurred. There is also authority Tor payment of pensions in respect of children over lti years wno.se education is being continued.. Explaining the Bill, the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) said that the improvements nact the unqualified support of the . Returned Services Association Dominion Executive with which the Government had conferred. The measure was a Consolidating bill and would take the place of the Cornier War Pensions Act. stated today 1 1 1 < t fie hud received parA brief memm-andiim in. ihe bill .stup'd that b was designed (u replace existing legislation relating to war pensions and to replace ii with a scheme iliat would lie of general application irreS]>cclive of whether grounds for pensions had arisen in respect of past, present and future wars or in respect of service in New Zealand forces in times of peace. £1 Increase for Disablement Tin* tola! disablement pension provided under the Hill for ex-servicemen will be .t'2 a week, ihe present rate being L’2. The Hcnnoinie Pension is increased from to :tr»/-. The-allowance for a disabled man's wife remains as at present, at ill and that for each child is increased from ] 0/- m 10, i! a week. i'niler the new rates unmarried and married ex-servicemen will receive pensions as follows, the present rate being in parentheses. Unmarried man £4/15/- ( L'2 11/ii), man with wife £5/15/I AI 1 1 man, wife and one child £.’C T, p i sir*'*>•'(»). man. wife and two children L*it MU- f .£'.l 1 -!, fl). In ihe case of a soldier's widow without children, the statutory pension is increased io i_": ■ weekly, eompared with ihe existing rate m' i'2 7 The toial pension for ,i

vitlnw with Uvii i• 11 i 1«I r< • u is inerf-ssoii I'rom ' [ in c i it;. - weekly and 1-onvspunilintf adjust rnents ru e inuih: in uiii.-r imsi's. Tlu-se r:i 1 ( : -s i.v u> privates in i lu* uriiiy and corresponding ranks i,i ratings in other st-rviros. Whore rates c>r pensions payable under existing legislation m uomniissinni'd milks and their dependents are in exeoss of new mies payable, nn inerensos are provided for. Tin- rale of pension for orphaned ehildren lias also been increased from 1-V - l o I'll - ;l week. Onus of Proof 'Pin- finest ion of auribitiabiiity is also dealt with in tin- Kill. Il is laid down ihm the onus of proving disability is assoeiat id with war Nervine slnill not In- on lbo claimant. and the War Pensions Hoard and War Pensions Appeal Hoard are to give claimants the fill! benefit of ail presumptions in their favour. Tin- W.u Veterans' allowance is. in-j creased from HO. - weekly plus live per rent bonus fo weekly for the Veteran himself, while the five per cent bonus previously payable in respect of wives and children has now been inrlmhd in tiie allowance. Pensions to members of the Emergency Reserve -Vo ps have also been increased in the same manner ns war pensions in oxservicemen and provision is made for increased pensions in lie paid in eases of total blindness, ete. There is also authority for pensions to he granted in respect of ehildren over Iri years of age whose education is being continued. Similar adjustments ami increases in pensions and allowances for members of lie- Mereanlile Marine are provided for in the War Pensions and Allowances (Mercantile Marine) Amendment Hill which was also introduced and read a first time in' the House last night. Detention allowances, according to 'he tonnage of ship in which men were serving when detained have also been slightly increased.