UNIVERSAL BENEFIT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24221, 13 February 1940, Page 6

UNIVERSAL BENEFIT

£lO A YEAR AT SIXTY-FIVE INAUGURATION ON APRIL 1 (Special to Daily Times) • AUCKLAND, Feb. 12. "According to the law, universal superannuation in New Zealand will come into existence on April 1,” said the acting-Minister of Social Security (Mr W. E. Parry) in an interview. “ This superannuation will be paid without a means test/' he added. “The law says that every person in New Zealand of 65 years or more, who qualifies, will be entitled to the superannuation, which has been fixed at £lO for the first year,” the Minister continued. “No person is entitled to two benefits under the Social Security Act, however, so that no old-age pensioner already in receipt of his full amount will benefit under the superannuation scheme. “ It will be necessary to make application for the benefit at the pensions office in the same wav as for other pensions,” Mr Parry said. He said it had not yet been decided whether the first year’s payment of £lO would be made in a lump sum, or quarterly. “There is no part of the Act that gives any indication of any such thing,” the Minister said, when it was brought to his notice that many old-age pensioners believed that they would receive £lO extra this year, under the superannuation scheme.