WAR PENSIONS ACT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16097, 10 December 1915, Page 8

WAR PENSIONS ACT.

• ■ ■■ PARTIAL INCAPACITY. AMOUNTS FOR DEPENDANTS. [BY TELEGRAPH.PBESS ASSOCXiTIOy.7 Wellington-, Thursday. " I am afraid that even now there is » certain amount of confusion in the public mind with regard to the provisions of the War Pensions Act," said the Prime Minister this evening. " This, I think, is owing to the fact that the pensions to incapacitated soldiers are paid irrespective of whether the recipients are possessed of wealth or incomes. A totally incapacitated private soldier is entitled to a pension of £1 15s a week, while his wife may receive 12s 6d a week, and his children if any, £13 per annum, or, taking them together, a maximum aggregate of £3 12 6d a week. Other ranks are in proportion. A captain, for instance, is entitled to £2 a week, the aggregate for himself and family being £4 5s a week ; colonel, £2 18s a week, or an aggregate for his famLy of £5 12s. It must be understood I that the Pensions Board are judges of the partial incapacity or, rather, earning cap*- | city of a pensioner, and fix the amount cf ; pension Every case of partial incapacity I is considered on its merits and dealt with I accordingly, always remembering that neither the property nor income of the pensioner under this heading has anything 1 to do with the amount of pension. Definition of " Dependant." " Then, in case of dependants, the Act, while providing the maximum of the aggregate pension a week, directs the Pension Board to fake into consideration the property or income from all sources of the dependant. Remembering that dependants include wife, lather, mother grandfather, grandmother, stepfather' stepmotheTj grandson, granddaughter' brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister' mother-in-law, and, of course, childrenbow many dependants in all I am not able to say—nc other arrangement seems feasible. No Act can provide definite pensions for each and every one of the , foregoing. A suggestion wa3 made publicly the other day that pensions should only be provided for these people when they are dependants, but that brings us back to the board, or some similar budv, who must decide the latter question and degree of dependency. Comparisons of Maximums. " The Canadian Act makes provision only for a widow and children, and mother, if a widow. This has the merit of being much simpler than ours,' but it is not nearly so liberal. _ I know I am right in saying that in no case has the Board failed to make all the provision allowed by law, where the widow and children were not otherwise adequately provided for. The following figures show the maximum pensions payable per annum:—(a) In case of disablement, to disabled soldiers and their drives ; and (b). in ', case of death, to wives and other depenI dants. (a) disablement. Private Soldier. Wife. £ £ New Zealand ... 91 32 Canada 54 27 Australia ... 52 26 (b) death. £ New Zealand (wife or other dependants) 65 Canada (wife or widowed mother only) 54 Australia (wife or other dependant) 52