PENSIONS IN ENGLAND

Waikato Independent, Volume XXVII, Issue 2768, 7 April 1927, Page 6

PENSIONS IN ENGLAND

NEARLY TWO MILLIONS. AFTERMATH OF THE-AVAR. More than 10,0.00 artificial legs and 4881 artificial eves were issued olwring the year of 192(5 by the Ministry of Pensions in London. . The number of pensions and allowances still being paid at the close of the y<;ar was 1,794,400. The recipients

included 25,(500 officers, 1114 nurses 509,500 men, .154,000 widows ,and 5(53, 000 children. 11

Fresh claims to pensions were still being- received at the rate of 850 a week, but out of 45,558 fresh applications received during the year only 13978 were, admitted.

The expenditure ' of the Ministry since its establishment was no less than £3,325,000,000, a sum larger than that paid by any other country engaged in the war. The tot al expend its.re during 1920 was £334,581,340, Of that amount about £11,000,000 was in respect of administration expenses.

Last year’s issue of artificial legs brings the total well above 100,000. A total of 20,000 artificial arms has I-a n issued, including 1100 last year. Surgical boots supplied numbered 18,338 pairs-, and 20,433 were repaired. he issue of artificial eyes was supplied to 3311 pensioners and 5(54 received ,fj:ectacles. First issues wort made of 148 handpropelled tricycles and .170 invalid chairs. A happier tone in the report is found in a paragraph stating that 4500 .war widows re-married last year. The widows who re-marry cease to receive pensions. There has been a yearly average of about 23,000 deaths, and 51,000 children also disappear from the pension list on becoming of age.