MANY APPLICATIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3823, 21 June 1927, Page 51

MANY APPLICATIONS.

FAMILY ALLOWANCES ACT.

EFFECT OF UNEMPLOYMENT.

Sinci' the inauguration of the new scheme under the Family Allowances Act that became operative on April 1, applications have poured into the Christchurch and Dunedin offices of the Pensions Department in a. steady stream. Inquiry made in Dunedin yesterday showed that although the number had eased during the month the effect of the present unemployment position was distinctly noticeable in. the number of applications received. In Christchurch a family of 10 is the largest which has come under the notice of the pension office in connection with the distribution of benefits under the Family Allowances Act. Several families numbering eight and nine have also made application for the 2s a week paid by the Government in respect of , children under 15 years of age ’ families of three or more children, the total income of which does not exceed £4 a week (plus 2s a week fo reach child in excess of two). Thus a w man with four children and an income or £4 2s would receive 2s a week from the Government. METHOD OF PAYMENT.

The method of payment in a measure recognises the principle that the head of a house should hand over hie wages at the end of the week to his wife, for, though the application for the allowance must be made by the fathe.'. payment is made to the mother or guardian. The first applications in Christchurch were received during March, for a scheme that became operative on April 1. The first inquiries came with a rush, and then declined to a steady average. Thi total received to date is i<- the neighbourhood of 400. The Christchurch district it bounded roughly by Kaikoura, Oxford, Leeston, and Dunsandel. Most of the early applications came from the town. The country people are now more familiar ■with the benefits conferred, and the business from small towns, and even farming districts, has now increased. MAJORITY WAGE EARNERS.

The majority of those seeking the friendly assistance of the new legislation are naturally wag earners. It is under these circumstances not unusual that there should occasionally be some difficulty in arriving at an applicant’s exact yearly income. A casual labourer may work for a number of employers during the year, and may have no record of their names, nor the amount earned. Each application is considered on its merits, and recommendations are forwarded to Wellington. In eases of renewals, which are made from year to year, greater strictness, may be expected. In the future those in casual labour will be expected to furnish more accurate details, and those in small businesses will be obliged to keep an annual record of their takings and expenditure. POSITION IN DUNEDIN.

The position in Dunedin is similar in regard to the working of the Act, although the district covered is a smaller oi and the number of applications is not so large. When approached yesterday the officers of the Dunedin Pensions Office were unable +o supply the total number of applications received to date, but they stated that these, were received freely in April and May. There were not so many during the present month, but, it had been noticed that with the increasing severity of the unemployment position the numbers were increasing more than would normally be the case. “We can beat Christchurch in respect of the maximum family number on whose behalf the applications have been made,” said the officer in charge of the department. “I suppose it is because this is a Scottish community. A family of 16 is the largest which has come under pur notice, but we have had several of 15. ■,