WAR PENSIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23273, 16 February 1939, Page 17

WAR PENSIONS

Sir, —Re "Fairplay's" letter of the Uth inst. stating that the Patriotic Society are carrying most'of the disabled soldiers, I would like to point out that the war reteran pensioners, the lowest-paid men on the pension scheme, are not entitled to benefits from the Patriotic Society. In comparing war veteran pensions with invalidity pensions 1 should like to know if we have deteriorated 50 per cent by fighting for our country as our children are entitled to 5s per week as against the invalid pensioner's 10s per week. Digger 111.

fThe secretary of the Auckland Provincial Patriotic and War Relief Association, Mr. T. B. Kay, explained that the only fund controlled by the association was for the benefit of soldiers who were in necessitous circumstances and who were suffering from a war disability. If a man had a war pension, thus was bona-fide evidence that he had a war disability. If he was in receipt of a war veteran's allowance it was necessary for him to establish to the satisfaction of the association's claims board that he was suffering from a war disability. It did not necessarily follow that if a man was receiving a war veteran's allowance he was suffering from a war disability.]