NOT PENALISED

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 22690, 18 August 1945, Page 8

NOT PENALISED

PENSIONERS IN HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION OF ACT After mention at a recent meeting of the Waikato Hospital Board of reduction of the pensions of aged people while inmates of hospitals the following information has been made available. It is pointed .out that an age benefit is not a monthly j gift on account of old age. It is a grant from certain public monies toward the maintenance of people over 60 years of age whose circumstances require it. A provision in the Social Security Act that persons in receipt of monetary benefits are not entitled to receive such benefits during long periods in hospital is to ensure that while beneficiaries are in hospital, maintained at public expense, they will not receive monetary benefits which were paid for their maintenance outside. Methods of Deduction In practice no deduction is made for any portion of a calendar month. There is no deduction for the month of admission, none for the succeeding month and none for the month of discharge. A man may be in hospital three months and no deduction made. Reductions are only made when a fairly long period is spent in an institution. There is a further safeguard. It is recognised that in many cases the disbursements of old folk have to be continued, notwithstanding their period in hospital, and in such cases application is made for a continuation of the benefit. The circumstances are then taken into account by social security officials. It is stated that this section of the Act has been administrated very generously.