FAMILY ALLOWANCES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 9 August 1928, Page 5

FAMILY ALLOWANCES

POSITION OF SCHEME

APPLICATIONS NOT UP TO

ESTIMATE

(By Telegraph) . -jv (From “The Mail’s” Parliamentary ' Reporter). -1

WELLINGTON, Bth August.; The Pensions Report' presented >: to Parliament yesterday; says that the es- . timate of the number of applicationsJpr, family allowances which would be made has so far not been realised. At the end of the first year allowances had ; beep granted in respect of 10,000 children in excess of two in a family, representing iri round figures 3000 families, the total children of which numbered 16,000, IF \ must be remembered that the experience,,.... in connection with the old age pension "and the widows pension law. was that in. _.l tlie early years of both these. there was, on the part of:certain r classes of people, either a lack of knowledge ';; of the legislation passed to benfefit them, of a diffidence to take advantage pf.such legislation. In. regard to. the iamily &1-- M ltwance at least another full year’s working will be required to enable anything like reliable estimates to he adduced. The.claims lodged during the , year totalled 3980 of whiclr. ; 3ls4 werk'o-*. granted and 579 rejected. Of fhe.reV iected claims 411 represent cases' Where the income of the family was in excess oftlie limit allowed. In 74 cases the apy plication was withdrawn ‘or Tliei. tife£e&r. sarv evidence was-- not forthcoming. During the war of the 3154 granted' 25? were voided by the death of the father and 123 were 'cancelled, leaving 3006 'imys force <at the close of the year. Tlie total; children of the. 3154 granted and those in excess of two numbered respectively 16.066 and 9758, the average per family-•/ being 5.09 and 3.09., The total amount, paid during the year was £37,652. The. total annual value of all allowances granted was £49,000, and of those in force at the close of the year, £46,557,. The latter averaged £ls 9s 9d per annum each” or just a trifle under 6s weekly, the maximum .for three children.. 0£ tlie claims dealt with 302 were -from -- Maoris. 265,being granted and 37 rejected. Tlie principal occupations ot the fathers of the beneficiaries are labourer 1350, farm hands 298, farmer 290, public servants 122, waterside -workers, 101., , ti