WAR PENSIONS BILL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 201, 26 August 1943, Page 4

WAR PENSIONS BILL

INCREASED ALLOWANCES CONCESSIONS OUTLINED (P A.• Wellington. Aug. 25. Increases in war pensions and allowances promised in the Budget are provided for in the War Pensions Bili which was introduced in the House ot Representatives last night. It also provides for increases in respect oi‘ the following:—Certain specific disabilities. war veterans* allowances, cases ot total blindness, and in cases where two or more serious disabilities have been incurred. There is also authority for payment of pensions in respect of children over Hi years of nge whose education is being continued. Explaining the Bill, tne Prime Minister. Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, said the improvements had the unqualified support or the Returned S -r. ices’ Association Dominion executive, with which the Govt rnment han conferred. The measure was a consolidating Bill and would take the place cf tne for mt j Wd? Pensions Act. The total disablement pension for an ex-serviceman is to be £3 a week, the present rate being £2. Th? economic pension is increased from 34s 6d a week to 355. The allowance for a disabled man’s wife remain- as ai present at £l. and that, lor each child is increased from 10s to 10s 6d a week. Under the new rates unmarried exservicemen will receive pensions as follows, the present rar being given in parentheses: - Unmarried man. £1 15s (£3 14s 6d»: man with wife, £5 15s (£4 14s 6d>; man. wife, and one child. £6 5s 61 <£s 4s 64); man, wife and two children. £6 16s (£5 14s 6d>. fn the case of a soldier’s widow without childr n the statutory pension economic pension from 17s 3d to 20s. making a total of £3 weekly, as compared with the existing rate of £2 7s 3d. The total pension for a widow with two children is increased from £3 14s 4id to £1 16s weekly, as follows, the present rate being given in parentheses: Statutory pension, 50s <4os': pensions for two children. 21s <3os); economic pension. 25s (14s 41d>. These rates relate 1o privates in the Army, and corresponding ranks or ratings in other services. fourth schedule to the Bill sets out the percentage of full pension payment in respect of certain specific disabilities. A number of increases in th' percentages have been made. For examn’o the percentage of disability for the amputation of the right arm through the shoulder joint. which was previously assessed a i 85 per cent., has been assessed at 100 per cent. The amputation of a leg through the hin joint, previously assessed at 90 per cent., has nm • n< ' i !?<. rd 10 ehw cent. Various other percentages Ba e also benn increased. Th? maximum rate of clothing allowance payable to those ex-service-men who have to -,o nr artificial limb-: nr other artificial amstn’.-cs. has horn increased from £8 to £IG ner annum, while th*- maximum allowance payable in respect of ar attendant hrs been increased from £3 fn £5 weeldv. Th? rafn nf pension for childr n has been increased from'lss to 20s a week. Th'* Question of attributabilitv is ftlbi dealt with in the Bill. It is laid down that the onus of proving that Hiu disability is asocie.ted with war service shall not h*» on the claimant. and lhe War Pensions Beard and th- War Pensions Appeal Board are to give the claimants the full benefit of all presumptions in their favour. The war veterans’ allowance is increased from 30s weekly plus 5 per rent, bonus to 32s 64 weekly for the veteran himself, while the 5 per cent, bonus previously payable in respect of wives and children has now been included in the allowance. Pensions to member, of the Emergency Reserve Corps have been increased in the same manner as war pensions to ex-servicemen. There is