FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9692, 21 June 1917, Page 11

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

THE WORK OF THE BOARD A WARNING TO INSURANCE CAN. YASSERS AND OTHERS. STATEMENT BY DEEENCE MINISTER. Some interesting facts and figures with regard to the operations of the Financial Assistance Board were given to a “Times” representative yesterday by the Hon. Sir James Allen (Acting-Premier and Minister for Defence). Sir James arso uttered a warning, of which intending applicants 'or assist nice, insurance canvassers and others should take note. “The board,” said the Minister, “have oeen very energetic auring tno mouttiThey had sat every evening vms month (witu me exception ot oauuays;, _auu Doth Saturday anei nouns, and exeenont progress has been naue. During the mouth the board had dealt witn 493 applications, including 67 reconsidered eases. Of this numuer 97 applications were withdrawn or declined; 78 were deterred for further iniormation Irom the applicants; and grants were made in 318 cases. . "It is very encouraging to learn that only 89 cases are now on hand ready to be submitted to the board. Forty-six moplicatfions, not yet subniitted, had been referred back to the applicants. In 291 cases authority lor payment cannot be transmitted to the War Expenses Department until the verification forms had been completed by the parties concerned. The board are anxious to overhaul all the arrears. Applications are now being received-at the rate of about 100 per week and if this figure is not increased there will be only two or three days' oases on hand at the end y>f the month.. , ~, “The particulars of the work of the board up to date are as follow; —Total number of meetings of the board, *2; reconsidered cases up to Juno 16th, 133 i new cases, 1163; making a total of 1296. These had been dealt with as under:— Declined or withdrawn, 266; deferred, 202; granted, 828. A NOTE OF WARNING. "What I want specially to say," stated the Minister, "is this—lt is coming to the knowledge of the board, and to my knowledge as Minister, that certain insurance otnees (or porhaps their canvassers. it may be unknown to the management) are leading applicants to believe tnat insurance premiums will be paid by the Government regardless oi the circumstances 9f the case, Ihey are using this to induce men to take up insurances to considerable amounts and involving ’premiums which a man would not be able to pay out of his ordinary income if he were not taken as a soldier. r wish ij warn firtl w all the insurance companies and their (canvassers agarinst this practice; and secondly. I want to warn those who mav be misled that the Government cannot recognise cases where it is obvious that a man has been led to take up a larger insurance poliev thon he rtWld be justified in doing in ordinary life. We have had already some cases in which the board had to decline *uch applications. It will create very »-reat hardship for some men, and the practice must be ;toppod. For example, a man who was in receipt of £145 10s per annum applied for assistance to meet the premiums cn a l*fc insurance policy for the annual premiums on which (including the war ioadine of ,£SO) amounted to -S7O 10s. The board declined to lend any assistance in this case. 1 '