DISABILITY PENSIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25101, 17 December 1942, Page 6

DISABILITY PENSIONS

REMOVAL OF ANOMALIES (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 16. By recent amendments to the Social Security and Pensions Emergency Regulations, 1942, the Government has removed certain anomalies and adopted recommendations made by the annual Dominion Council of Returned Services’ Association, and the committee has expressed its gratification at the Government’s action. Dissatisfaction was expressed, however, that the Government .stipulates that a pensioner must be in receipt of a 100 per cent, disability pension before his widow or any dependent children can, at the discretion of the War Pensions Board, receive a dependent’s pension. The N.Z.R.S.A. considers that this privilege should apply to those war pensioners who have received a 60 per cent, disability pension or over. In pre-war days the N.Z.R.S.A. received from the British Empire Service League a percentage of the proceeds of the sales of poppies on ships at sea on Armistice Day. This money was credited to a spscial trust fund for the benefit of Imperial ex-service-men and their dependents. Since the outbreak of war only one grant has been received from this source, but through the courtesy of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr W. E. Parry, grants from time to time have been made to this trust fund from the art union profits. At a recent meeting of the Dominion Committee it was reported that a further sum of £.250 had been received from the Minister and had been set aside for the relief, of Imperial ex-servicemen and their dependents.