MILITARY PENSIONS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CIII, Issue 15741, 27 August 1915, Page 5

MILITARY PENSIONS.

* —. REGULATIONS READY. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. (Faom Oce Special v7orrk3fonden» > WELLINGTON;, Aug. 23. The regulations under the Military Pensions Act have been framed, and 1 will bo gazetted shortly. The act will then become fully operative, and the Pensions Board which was appointed a lew days ago will be ready to receive applications for pensions from disabled soldiers and the dependents of men who have been reported killed. The Hon. Mr Myers, Minister in charge of the Pensions system, informed your representative that the organisation of the Pensions Department was going to bo used in connection with the payment of the military pensions.- The Commissioner of Pensions at "Wellington has been appointed secretary to the War Pensions Board, and the services of various registrars of pensions throughout the Dominion would be available to applicants. There were 72 of these officers located in the principal centres of the Dominion. "There will be two separate forms of application," said the Minister. "One form will bo for disabled members of the forces, and the other for dependents. Application must be lodged with the local registrars, who will forward them to the Commissioner in Wellington for submission to the Board. When a. pension has been granted a pension certificate setting forth the amount payable, and the place and date of payment will be issued. Payment will be made by monthly instalments at any post office named by the pensions on production of the pension |«■ ' ificate. Provision is made for paymi: its, an agent oh behalf of the pensioner when good cause such as age or infirmity is shown. ■ In the matter of pensions payable to dependents provision is made in the regulations for the review of the pensions, the Board being authorised to increase the amount or decrease it as occasion demands. The records of the Defence Department are made available to the Pensions Board in connection with disabled members of the forces. Where. it is deemed necessary the Board may require the. production of a medical certificate setting forth the nature and extent of the disablement. Hlie form of application in the case of ' dependents requires particulars of income and property to be supplied in full." The Minister added that it was probable that forms of application would be available on the following day, and that the registrars would be in' a position to receive applications by the end of the week.