WAR PENSIONS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 862, 14 November 1916, Page 9

WAR PENSIONS.

BIG INCREASE LAST WEEK. The annual value of the war pen sions granted by the board last wee! was £7777, bringing the total amoun granted up to an annual value o £228,781. This amount has, how ever, to be reduced by some £32,00 as a result of 657 pensions havin; ceased through death and olhe causes.

Last week the board sat on five occasions, and had before it 278 cases —155 new claims, 63 renewals of temporary pensions, 54 annual reviews, and 0 special cases. Of the new claims 79 were from soldiers and 76 from dependents. Of the soldiers' claims 13 pensions were granted and 56 allowances; 8 were declined and 2 adjourned. Of the dependents, 67 were granted pensions and 4 allowances, 4 were declined, and one adjourned. Of the renewals 39 were continued (12 of them are to be final), 10 were converted into pensions, and 13 were ordered to cease. One was adjourned for inquiry. All the pensions that came up for annual review were continued, and in 3 cases (widows) the pension was brought up to the full amount. The gross figures now are as follow:

Soldiers—B24 pensions, 2207 allowances, 324 declined, 15 adjourned, 52 on hand; total, 3512. Dependents—--1333 pensions, 143 alowances, 132 declined, 12 adjourned, on hand 94. Annual Value —Soldiers' pensions £44,247, average £53; widows and wives £31,145, average £97; dependents £29,020, average £29; allowances £123,703, average £SO. Total 4597, annual value £228,781, average £49. Among last week's cases were 18 widows, who had between them 38 children. One widow, of a private, who has 8 children under 10 years of age, was granted a pension of £221 a year. Another, with 6 children, has now a pension of £lB2 a year, and a widow of a lieutenant, with 4 children, was granted a pension of £lB2.