PENSION PAYMENTS

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21038, 14 February 1940, Page 9

PENSION PAYMENTS

HOSPITAL PATIENTS SOCIAL SECURITY ACT MINISTER EXPLAINS POSITION (Special to Times) WAIHI, Monday A number of questions relative to the administration of the Social Security Act was recently asked by the Waihi Miners’ Pensions Association, with reference particularly to the reduction of the pension when a pensioner is in hospital. The association has received a reply from the acting-Minister of Social Security, the Hon. W. E. Parry. The Minister states that under the general provisions it was stipulated that where any beneficiary was in receipt of a hospital benefit or in a public institution, no monetary benefit was payable as a right. It should be pointed out. however, he says, that this did not affect in any way the eligibility for medical and related benefits themselves, which were granted irrespective of an applicant’s financial circumstances. Personal Allowance The question, continues Mr Parry, had already been fully investigated by the Social Security Commission, and it had been set down as a general rule that where a full benefit of £6 10s monthly had been authorised, 30s a month would be available for the personal needs of the patient. This decision applied only to that portion of the benefit granted to the patient himself, and the amount payable in respect of any dependants was not affected where the beneficiary himself was admitted to hospital. However, no reduction in benefit was effected for the month of admission to hospital, nor for the month of discharge. Provision was made whereby the commission would authorise the full amount while the patient was in hospital if the circumstances warranted such action being taken. From the association’s letter, continued Mr Parry, it would seem that it was under the impression that sickness benefits were not affected by the patient being taken to hospital, but this was not the case. A sickness benefit was payable at the full rate only for the first four weeks of in-patient treatment, when the matter was reviewed, but, of course, even in these cases an extension might be granted if the patient or his family were in need of additional assistance. Pensions Reduced The association had pointed out that it appeared that in cases where pensioners were sick and in hospital the amount of pension received by them had been reduced, and that substantially, apparently to assist in the payment of benefits being received generally by others under the headings of “medical and hospital.” That, the association considered, was an anomaly, because one benefit cancelled the other and brought. very real hardship to such sick pensioner.

The association had evidences of cases were persons not in receipt o£ pensions had received the full sickness benefit of £1 a week while in hospital and during their incapacity, while others found their small pension most drastically reduced during the period of sickness.