OLD-AGE PENSIONS: REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED THE 31st MARCH, 1901.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1901 Session I, H-18

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1901. NEW ZEALAND.

OLD-AGE PENSIONS: REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED THE 31st MARCH, 1901.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Section 62 of " The Old-ag& Pensions Act, 1898."

The Begisteae of Old-age Pensions to the Bight Hon. the Colonial Teeasubeb. Sib, — Old-age Pensions Office, Wellington, 31st May, 1901. .00iJ.8.3 I have the honour to furnish the following statement of particulars required for presentation to Parliament in terms of section 2 of " The Old-age Pensions Act, 1898," for the year ended the 31st March, 1901. Hoc Last session an amending Act was passed, containing the following provisions : — 1. As an alternative condition in respect of residence, an absence of four years from the colony is allowed, provided that the claimant was not absent during the year ended 31st October, 1898, and provided that the total period of actual residence is not less than twenty-five years. 2. The property and income of husband and wife is to be computed as belonging to them jointly, and their united yearly incomes, including the pension, is limited to £78. 3. Extended powers are granted to Deputy Begistrars in respect of statutory declarations to be taken by them. 4. The portion of the monthly instalment accrued up to the date of the pensioner's death may be applied, on the authority of the Colonial Treasurer, in or towards defraying burial expenses. 5. The currency of each instalment is for one calendar month, with power to the Colonial Treasurer to extend the period in special cases. 6. The right of pensioners to admission to charitable institutions is protected. 7. The limit as to time of the operation of the principal Act is rescinded, and the authority to pay made absolute. 8. In certain cases, pension-claims may be reinvestigated. 9. In the case of naturalised persons, the term of qualification preceding the establishment of a pension-claim is reduced from five years to one year. The number of pensions in force on the 31st March, 1901, inclusive of 1,098 granted to Maoris, was 12,405, representing a yearly payment of £211,965. During the year ended, the 31st March, 1901, 2,227 pensions were granted, 815 pensioners died, 227 pension-certificates were cancelled (inclusive of 202 renewal claims rejected), and 65 pensions lapsed through non-application for renewal. The number of claims rejected under the respective subsections of section Bof the Act were—2 under subsection (5), 26 under subsection (6), and 174 under subsections (7) and (8). Tables are attached showing —(1) The number of pensions in force on the 31st March, 1901, at each rate ; (2) .the number and annual value of such pensions in each old-age pension district; and (3) the number of pensions granted since the Act came into operation, the number of "deaths of pensioners, the number of certificates cancelled, the number of pensions lapsed, and the number of pensions in force at the end of each year. The total amount paid in respect of pensions during the year was £197,292 13s. 6d. This amount includes £685 16s. 2d. charged to a vote provided for the purpose of paying forfeited instalments in special cases, and portions of instalments accrued up to date of death. The cost of . administration was £2,415 10s. 7d. The total amount of absolutely forfeited instalments during the year was £2,926 3s. 4d. During the year, 532 pension-certificates were transferred from one old-age pension district to another. The former regulations were revoked and new regulations gazetted on the 13th December, 1900. Edmund Mason, • Begistrar of Old-age Pensions.

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Table I.—Number of Pensions in Force, at each Rate, on the 31st March, 1901.

Yearlv Pension. Number of Pensions. Amount. £ $ 18 ... ... ... ... 10,356 186,408 17 ... ... 267 4,539 16 ... ... ... ... 262 4,192 15 ... ... ... ... 261 3,915 14 ... ... ... ... 193 2,702 13 . ... 188 2,444 12 .:. ... ... 215 2,580 11 ... ■ ... ... ... Ill 1,221 10 .. ... ... ... 120 1,200 9 ..... ... 74 666 8 97 776 7 .. ... 70 490 6 56 336 5 ... ... 49 245 4 . . ... ... 33 132 3 ... ... ... ... 22 66 2 .. ... ... ... 22 44 1 ... 9 9 Totals ... ... 12,405 £211,965

Table II. — Number of Pensions in Force in each Old - age Pension District on the 31st March, 1901.

_. . . , Number , . District. , t-> Amount. of Pensions. £ Akaroa 43 707 Amberley ... ... 8 144 Ashburton ... ... 184 3,174 Auckland ... ... 1,015 17,034 'Balclutha ... ... 131 2,238 Blenheim ... ... 146 2,457 Chatham Islands... ... 5 90 Christchurch ... ... 1,215 20,501 Clyde 98 1,758 Coromandel ... ... 121 2,138 Oulverden ... ... 2 24 Dannevirke ... ... 149 2,497 Dargaville ... ... 69 1,226 Dunedin ... ... 929 15,938 Fairlie ... ... ... 8 144 Feilding ... ... 86 1,490 Geraldiue ... ... 133 2,261 Gisborne ' ... ... 96 1,634 Greymouth ... ... 467 8,311 Greytown ... ... 72 1,222 Hamilton ... ... 178 2,992 Havelook 7 119 Hawera ... ... 56 942 Helensville ... ... 257 4,457 Hokitika- ... ... 484 8,561 Invercargill ... ... 540 9,278 Kaiapoi ... ... 270 4,461 Kaikoura ... ... 27 467 Lawrence ... ... 206 3,503 Marton... ... ... 88 1,535 Masterton ... ... 81 1,385 Maungaturoto ... ... 45 749 Milton ... ... ... 113 1,893 Mongouui ... ... 82 1,416 Mofeueka ... ... 77 1,219 Napier ... ... 243 4,087 Nasebv... ... ... 87 1,506 Nelson ... ... ... 278 4,614

Tv , • , Number , District. , t-, . Amount, of Pensions. £ New Plymouth ... ... 230 3,911 Oamaru ... ... 239 4,133 Opotiki ..." ... 39 694 Onehunga ... ... 281 • 4,577 Otaki ... ... ... 63 1,107 Paeroa ... ... 54 946 Pahiatua ... ... 30 514 Palmerston North ... 159 2,691 Palmerston South ... 50 846 Patea ... ... ... 23 397 Port Awanui ... ... 48 864 Port Chalmers ... ... 195 3,238 Queenstown .... ... 99 1,732 Eaglan ... ... 94 1,569 Eawene ... ... 100 1,694 Eeefton ... ... 139 2,442 Eiverton ... .. 117 2,020 Eocorua ... ... 71 1,276 Eussell ... ... 137 2,285 Stratford . ... 27 476 Taupo... ... ... 35 626 Tauranga ... ... 86 1,502 TeAroha ... ... 30 519 Thames ... ... 266 4,576 Timaru ... ... * 144 2,477 Waimate ... ... 85 1,450 Waipawa ... ... 18 312 Wairoa ... ... Ill 1,682 Wanganui ... ... 196 3,341 Wark worth ... ... 81 1,292 Wellington ... ... 496 8,717 Westport ... ... 266 4,659 Whakatane ... ... 107 1,913 Whangarei ... ... 158 2,714 Whangaroa ... ... 35 601 Total ...12,405 £211,965

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Table III.—Number of Pensions granted since the Act came into Operation; Number of Deaths, Certificates cancelled, and Pensions lapsed during each Year; and Number of Pensions in Force at End of each Year.

Betubn showing Cost of Administeation of " The Old-age Pensions Act, 1898," for the Financial Year ended 31st March, 1901. Salaries— £ s. d. £ s. d. Begistrar ... ... ... 100 0 0 Deputy Begistrars ... ... ... 200 0 0 300 0 0 Other charges— Clerical assistance ... ... 1,209 5 0 Contribution to Post Office ... ... 500 0 0 Travelling-expenses and interpreters' fees ... 193 17 1 Contingencies ... ... ... 176 11 10 Bent of offices ... ... ... 35 16 8 ' 2,115 10 7 Total ... ... ~. £2,415 10 7 B. J. Collins, The Treasury, 31st May, 1901. Accountant to the Treasury.

Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, not given; printing (1,675 copies), £-2 3s.

Authority : John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9ol..

Price 3d.]

Year ended Number of Pensions granted. Number of Deaths of Pensioners. Number of Pension-certifi-cates cancelled. Number of Pensions lapsed. Number of Pensions in Force at End of Year. ilst March, 1899 1900 1901 7,487 4,699 2,227 | 38 786 815 6 65 227 6 65 7,443 11,285 12,405 Total 14,413 1,639 298 71