OLD AGE PENSIONS.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 2887, 12 December 1898, Page 3

OLD AGE PENSIONS.

THE REGULATIONS. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, December 10. • The regulations and appointment of deputy-registrars for districts constituted under the Old Age Pensions Act are published as a supplement to the Gazette. Printed forms of pension claim will be sent as soon as possible to all post offices. The following prominent features are of interest to the general public. It is imperative that the pension claims should be made on printed forms obtainable at any post office. These must be addressed to the deputy-regis-trar for the district m which the claimant resides. The claims will be investigated by Stipendiary Magistrates from time to time as they arise. It is necessary for the claimant to produce corroborative evidence on material points by documents or other independent testimony. In case of loss of any certificates, application by statutory declaration may be made to the deputy-registrar for a duplicate, but m the event of any instalment being paid under a lost pension certificate after the issue of the duplicate the pensioner shall have no claim against the Crown m respect of any instalment so paid. Under certain conditions pensioners may be transferred from the register of one district to the register of another district. Pensions granted m any month begin to accrue on the first of the following month, and the first instalment becomes payable on the first of next month. Instalments will be paid monthly at any money order office desired by the pensioner. Application may be made to the deputy registrars for a change of the place of payment. Where pensioners are receiving relief from or are inmates of any charitable institution, the governing board of Buch institution may make application for the payment oi the reasonable coat of maiateaawje or,

relief of such pensioners ; further, oi the application of a pensioner to f Stipendiary Magistrate the payment o a pension may be made to an agent, anc the Magistrate may for the benefit of s pensioner nominate a person to receive his instalments. In the casf of Maori claims an endorsemenl m the Maori language by a Government officer that the contents are understood by the claimant is necessary. It is the duty of the Government officers m any district to afford assistance"to claimants m the preparation and investigation of their claims. Statutory declarations under the Act may be made before Justices of the Peace, solicitors, deputy-registrars or postmasters, and are exempt from stamp duty. All correspondence on official business is carried free. No Court fees are payable, but a fee of one shilling is chargeable for the inspection of a pension claim register, or of the list of pensions kept at the post offices.