Payment Of Social Security By Check Apparently Not Wanted By Beneficiaries

Wanganui Chronicle, 7 September 1950, Page 5

Payment Of Social Security By Check Apparently Not Wanted By Beneficiaries

PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Last Night (PA).—ln the House of Representatives today, the Minister of Health (Mr. Watts), answering Mr. Connolly (Opp., Dunedin Central) said he was not prepared to recommend the payment of social security to beneficiaries by cheque until he was satisfied that the change would be approved by a substantial majority of beneficiaries, and there was at present a conflict of opinion on the matter among the beneficiaries themselves. Mr. Watts, speaking to the 'reply, said that many letters had been received from beneficiaries citing various reasons why payment, should not be made by cheque. His hope had been to avoid long queues in social security offices, but, apparently, many persons would sooner stand in a queue once a month than put up with delays they feared would result from payment by cheque. The latter system would not be impossible administratively, but there was insufficient evidence that it was wanted. Mr. Nash (Opp., Hutt) suggested that perhaps individual beneficiaries could give written authorities for payment by cheque. Mr. Walls said that would be looked into, but unless I here was a substantial demand for this facility, there would be administrative obstacles to providing it.