RECIPROCAL BENEFITS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27038, 24 March 1949, Page 7

RECIPROCAL BENEFITS

NZ AND AUSTRALIAN SOCIAL SERVICES EXTENSION OF AGREEMENT NZPA—Copyright Rec. 11 p.m. CANBERRA, Mar. 23. Reciprocity between Australia and New Zealand in social services is to be greatly extended, said the Minister of Health. Senator N. E. McKenna today. Senator McKenna to-day conferred with the New Zealand Minister of Social Security, Mr W. E. Parry, on the final aspects of the agreement for reciprocity which is expected to be completed and signed shortly. The existing agreement covers age and invalid pensions and the new agreement will extend to widows’ pensions, child endowment and unemployment and sickness benefits. The. corresponding benefits in New Zealand to be included, in addition to age and invalid benefits, will be widows’ benefits, family benefits, and unemployment and sickness benefits. Senator McKenna said that under the new agreement citizens of either country who take up permanent residence in the other will be given entitlement to the social service benefits on the same basis as the citizens of that country and for this purpose residence in one country will count as residence in the other. People going from one country to the other for temporary residence will continue to receive any benefits they were receiving in their own country. The home country will continue to provide benefits of these temporary periods, but the actual payments will be made on an agency basis by the country in which the person is temporarily residing.