H.—lB.

2

Gkoss Payments.

The following figures relate to the war and other pensions paid by the Department diiring the year on behalf of other Governments : —

LEGISLATION. Turing the year an amendment of the Pensions Act, 1913, passed into law, the main provisions of which are as follow Old-age Pensions.- —(a.) A uniform exemption of £52 per annum in respect of income, except that a pension of any amount payable under the War Pensions Act, 1915, and its amendments may be substituted for the said amount of £52 per annum. (b.) The exclusion of furniture and personal effects from the computation of any pension, (c.) An increase in the exemption in respect of a home from £390 to £520. (d.) An additional pension of 2s. 6d. a week to those pensioners who have no income or property, (e.) An additional pension not exceeding ss. a week to old-age pensioners who saw service in the South African War of 1899-1902, provided total income and pension do not exceed £91 per annum. Widows' Pensions. —(a.) An increase in the weekly pert ion of from 7s. 6d. a week to 10s. a week to widow and to each child under fourteen, with limit of total pension of £4 a week. (b.) A variation of income exemption to provide for increase of 15s. weekly in the total of income and pension combined. (c.) Increase in exemption in respect of home from £340 to £520. (d.) Provision for pension in special cases on recommendation of a Magistrate. Pensions for the Mind.—Statutory provision was also made during the year for the payment of a weekly pension of 15s. to blind people, of the full age of twenty or over who became blind in New Zealand and have had ten years' residence. The qualifications in respect of unearned income and property are similar to those relating to old-age pensions, but in regard to earned income an additional pension equal to 25 per cent, of the said earnings is granted, with a proviso that total income and pension must not exceed £3 10s. a week. Thus a blind, pensioner with £50 in cash and a home the net value of which does not exceed £520 may earn £2 4s. a week and receive a pension of 15s. a week, plus lis. a week additional as subsidy on wages, making the total income £3 10s. a week. The estimated annual cost of the increased benefits was as follows :— £ Old-age pensions .. .. .. .. .. 60,000 per annum. Widows'pensions .. .. .. .. .. 80,000 „ Blind pensions .. .. .. .. .. 18,000 ~ Total ~ •• •• £158,000

Class of Pension. j 1923-24. 1924-25. War .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,315,560 1,244,483 Old-age .. .. .. .. .. .. 767,805 806,953 Widows' .. .. .. .. .. .. 202.818 236,378 Maori War 30,350 26,848 Miners' .. .. .. .. .. .. 36,084 38,506 Epidemic .. .. .. . . .. .. 32,702 22,881 Boer War .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,146 3,071 Sundry pensions and annuities .. .. .. .. 8,033 9,327 Civil Service Act, 1908 .. .. .. .. .. 21,145 19,115 Blind .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,036 Totals .. .. .. .. .. 2,417,643 2,408,598 Cost per head of European population .. .. .. £1 17s. 4d. £1 16s. 4d.

, t> .?i U ?i er 1 Annual Average Payments, Government. Class of Pension. 31st; March, VaIuo , Pension. 1924-25. 1925. £ £ £ Great Britain .. .. .. War .. .. 1,859 104,749 56 \iK n Army and civil .. 572 28,267 49 Australia .. .. .. War .. .. 575 24,571 43 24,750 India .. .. .. .. Army and civil .. 82 18,066 220 23,619 South Africa .. .. .. War .. .. 2 252 126 331 .. Civil .. .. 28 2,787 99 3,031 Crown colonies .. .. ,, .. .. 25 5,887 235 6,621 Totals .. .. .. 3,143 £184,579 .. £208,906