CIVIL PENSIONS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 204, 29 August 1936, Page 10

CIVIL PENSIONS

| INCREASES ANNOUNCED ‘ LEGISLATIVE PROVISION | ASSISTANCE FOR BLIND AND INVALIDS I [Per Press Association] WELLINGTON, Aug. 28. I Increases in the rates of civil pen- | sions and proposals for payment oi I invalidity pensions as outlined in the I Budget are provided for in the Pen- • sions Amendment Bill, which was in tinduced in the House of Representatives to-day by Governor-General's message. The Bill provides that every person over the age of 16 years, who is totally blind or permanently incapacitated for work by accident, illness oi ;congenital defect, is to be entitled to :a pension. However, the disqualifications imposed generally in the origii nal Pensions Act in respect of old I age pensions will apply and further j j conditions for a grant of an invalidity I I pension are: That the applicant must I have resided continuously in New I Zealand for at least 10 years, al I I though occasional absences amount ! ing »o six months will be permitted; : and blind persons will bo permitted i i to travel abroad for vocational train- ■ | ing. That blind persons must have | I been born blind in New Zealand or j •become blind while permanently ai resident in lhe Dominion: that other I applicants must have been born in | New Zealand with the condition 1 ' ; which their incapacity for work is at- j tributable or that they must have be- j I come incapacitated bv accident or ill- ; ■ nes during their residence in the Do- ■ . minion. It is also laid down that self- | . induced incapacity for work will bo | I a disqualification and the same will I ; apply to incapacity brought about; with a view to qualifying for the j I pension. ’ Rate- of invaliditv pensions are to ; • be computed as follows: — I In the case of a married man with ‘ dependant wife or children: £1 week . I increased by 10s a week in respect of ; ! his wife and 10s a week in respect of | I each child. | Tn the case of a widower with deI pendant children: £1 a week, in- ■ i creased by 10s for each child. In every other case: £1 a week. The annual amount of pensions is ‘o be computed in accordance with j • the following provisions:— ; In the case of a married man or I (widower with dependant children, the [ amount will be diminished hv £1 for : I every complete £1 of the total annual | ' income of the applicant, his wife and | •dependant children in excess of £lOl ■ I and by £1 for comnlete £lO o r i | the net capital value of lhe ac- [ i cumulated property of the applicant.; this wife and children computed as in j [the case of an application for an old • ago pension. j Tn everv other case the amount ■ i will be diminished hv £1 for every i J complete £1 of annual income in ex I cess of £52 and by fl for every com- | | nlete £lO of property value as out- ; ' I lined above. I The mode of computing the annual | ■ income will be the same as that fol- | 'lowed under thp Pensions Act. in | computing the annual income of any I blind person an account is to be taken ■ of any personal earnings up to £2 I 15s a week. Another provision is that I no inva’Mity pension, is to exceed £1 i 7s a week. In every case, the term I child in relation to an applicant for | an invalidity pension means a civ Id j i under the .age of 16 years and in- [ ‘ eludes a step-child or a child legallv : •donted before the date of apnlicn- j , lion, although the Commissioner of ; , Pensions may tak*> into consideration j ; the case of a child maintained by the : applicant. ' Provision is also made for the payment of an additional bonus to blind pensioners in respect of their personal earnings. This will be calculated on a basis of 25 per cent, of the [ average weekly earnings for the year j and will be paid as an extra weekly allowance. However, the total rejeeipts of a blind pensioner in his own i right, whether from pension, personal ■ earnings, or any other source, are not .to exceed £3 15s a wee*. No person will be entitled to receive an invalidly pension for any period during ' which he is undergoing sentence of I imprisonment or reformative deten1 ! tion or is being maintained at the expense of the Government in a public institution although the Commissioner may, in such circumstances, make ; payments for the maintenance of the wife and children of the pensioner. Medical Examination ‘I . ; r J he Commissioner may require ap- [ ! plicants for invalidity pensions to be ■ I medically examined by a doctor nominated by him. If the application i is rejected on medical grounds, the i applicant will have the right of appeal to a board of three medical practitioners appointed by the Coinmisjsioner. All pensions granted within a month of the passing of the Bill will ! he made retrospective to July 1. Old Age Tensions , Provisions regarding old age pen- ' sions are dealt with in a separate part i of the Bill. The rates of the penision are to be increased to £52 a year trom July 1 and to £5B 10s a year from December 1. Residential qualifierl, lion for old age pensions is re•duced from 25 to 20 years. Widows' pensions are lo be ini' l eased to £1 a week witn an additional 10s a week for each dependant • child and a maximum rate of £4 10s a i week. Widows' pension may also be granted to a woman who has been I deserted by her husbana and who has i satisfied a magistrate that she has unI successfully taken proceedings for I maintenance against her husband and • ’iot av are of his whereabout? A. ivmnan '’ ho.;e husband is classified as i mentally defecti v e may also be [granted a widows’ pen.-ion. although ithe husband’s income wilt be taken ■ into account as if it was that of apI plicanl. i Miners’ Pensions Miners’ pensions may be paid to men who have contracted occupa- | liuHhl diseases oi heart disease in ad-, diliun to the afflictions already enu- | merated in the previous legislation. Miners' widows' pensions are to be reI stored to the rate of 17s 6d a week. [lf any person in receipt of a pension | leaves New Zealand and returns v itl)in five v ears, he will be able to

apply for a similar pension without [ having to comply with the usual residential qualifications. I QUESTIONS IN HOUSE MINISTERIAL REPLIES [Per Press Association] WELLINGTON, Aug. 28. In the House of Representatives this afternoon, three Bills, the Pensions Amendment Bill, the War Pensions Amendment Bill, and the Family Allowances Amendment Bill were introduced by Governor-General’s message and were read a first time. In reply to a question by Hon. G. W. Forbes, the Minister of Pensions, Hon. W. E. Parry, said the Pensions Amendment Bill and the Family Allowances Amendment Bill incorporated the provisions made for increased pensions in the Budget. Hon. F. Jones (Dunedin South) explained that the War Pensions Amendment Bill would make provision for the restoration of cuts in the allowances of soldiers' dependents and increased economic pensions lo 255. It also removed the marriage restriction of seven years by recognising • marriages contracted up to July 31 of I this year. It would also give the Pensions Department authority for the j appropriation of war veterans’ allowinnces as between the veteran, his wile 'and children, if necessary. • The House rose at 5.30 p.rn. i - | FAMILY ALLOWANCE I 1931 POSITION RESTORED i INCOME LIMIT EXTENDED [Per Press Associat’on] WELLINGTON, Aug. 28. i Proposals with regard to family al- = lowances are to be given effect to [under the Family Allowances Amend[ment Bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives by ; Governor-General’s message to-day. !As already stated, the alterations ■made in the Bill will operate as from ■July 1. 1 The principal provision of the Bill ! jis that extending the Income limitaj tion of persons in receipt of family I allowances from £3 5s to £4. This 'before the reduction was made in [terms of the National Expenditure .Adjustment Act, 1932. i Application for the family allowj ance can be made by either the ■father, or mother of the children conIcerned and the principal Act is [amended to make it clear that either [parent can apply. WAR PENSIONS I

! RESTORATION MADE I MARRIAGE RESTRICTIONS REMOVED [Per Press Associationj WELLINGTON, Aug. 28. I All lhe proposals in the Budget for I lhe increase or restoration of war I pensions are realised by the War Pen- | sions Amendment Bill, which was iii- [ troduced in the House of Representatives by Governor-General's message j to-day. | Details are as follow: I An increase in economic pensions to I j 25s a \veek. I The full restoration to the 1931 | scale of economic pensions to war i widows and widowed mothers and of ; the allowances to the wives and other I dependants of deceased and disabled j soldiers. The removal of marriage restrici lions on the granting of pensions and allowances to the wives and widows of ex-soldiers. i As previously announced, all the in [ creases are to be retrospective to July 1 1, from which date lhe new legislation will operate. Part, of the Pensions Amendment Bill, also introduced to-day, deals with certain military pensions. As from July 1. the Maori war pension is to be increased from £49 to £52 a year and on December 1 this year the rate is to be further increased to £5B 10s.