OLD AGE PENSIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13869, 1 October 1908, Page 4

OLD AGE PENSIONS.

I ■'- ■♦ ■ ( ......-.;,,....:. .. . ._.;■■•■_.;;. .;.■■. ;■■--. .- ■~■ . | THE AMENDING BILL. ' ■. ■ i [BV TELEGRAPH.— SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) '.''. Wellington, Wednesday. ' '■ The .Old Age Pensions Amendment Bill ,', contains' the following provisions Inter- /■' | est on a life assurance policy or an annuity ./ purchased from an assurance company are not to be regarded as accumulated property. The period of sobriety which-» ;. ': J necessary to qualify an applicant to a pen-' don 16 reduced from five years to one year.. ', The value of the house which an applicant i ■ , i may own and reside in and still get a pen- ' sion is increased from £300 to £650. In fixing the amount of pension the applicant's : income for the last preceding year is to be • deemed hie, yearly income, and the property owned by him at the end of the year is to be deemed to be his accumulated property, but if the magistrate is satisfied :,,.';. that during: the current year the applicant - will probably be unable to obtain an in- i come of more than £60.. he may base, his '. < calculations on the income which the appli- • ' * I ; cant will probably be. able to obtain inS stead of on the income he actually obtain!ed the previous year. , , ' ' \< »--■ •■> ■ ■ ■■■ ■-■ • , I In reviewing a pension certificate the [.magistrate, may increase as well as deI crease the amount of the. pension, or he I may cancel it altogether. A magistrate I may also suspend a pension certificate.for v. i any period up to six months in the even* j of a pensioner being convicted of drunken- : ness or of any offence punishable by imj.prieonment for one month or any longer 5 I period. If the pensioner is twice con-:'' ; victed of such offence the magistrate must/ ■ -■-. on. the application of the registrar, make an order suspending the certificate for a' period not lest, than six months, nor more than 12 months. A certificate must be ' '."■■■ cancelled when the pensioner is disquali- ; _■-j fied from applying for a pension for 1" r months. "If on the death of a pensioner j' money is owing to a charitable institution r i for hie maintenance or relief, the Minister .J? I may, if he thinks fit, direct that, the j/ j. amount, or portion of it, shall be pais! out |, :of the instalment due. Chinese or Asiatics, even though British subjects by ' j birth, are debarred from getting a per. J ion. j!: ;