H.—9.

EMERGENCY RESERVE CORPS PENSIONS. (Finance Act (No. 4), 1940.) Applications received for the year ended 31st March, 1941 .. .. 5 Number of pensions granted .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 Number of pensions in force as at 31st March, 1941 .. . . . . 1 Annual value as at 31st March, 1941 .. .. .. .. .. £104 Total payments made to 31st March, 1941 .. .. .. .. £3 WAR PENSION APPEALS. War Pensions Act, 1915. Appeals outstanding on 31st March, .1940 .. .. .. 63 Appeals lodged during 1940-41 .. .. .. .. .. 247 310 Appeals dismissed during 1940-41 .. .. . . 124 Appeals upheld during 1940-41 .. .. .. .. .. 109 Appeals withdrawn and struck out, 1940-41 .. .. .. 22 255 Appeals outstanding on 31st March, 1941 .. .. .. ..55 Percentage upheld, 42-7. The total number of appeals dealt with to the 31st March, 1941, was 10,726, the percentage upheld being 48-3. Of the 255 cases dealt with during the past year, 175 were heard at Auckland, 46-3 per cent, being upheld ; 35 at Wellington, 28-6 per cent, being upheld ; 31 at Christchurch, 35-5 per cent, being upheld ; and 14 at Dunedin, 50 per cent, being upheld. War Pensions Extension Act, 1940. Appeals outstanding on 31st March, 1940 .. .. .. .... Appeals lodged during 1940-41 .. .. .. .. .. 41 — 41 Appeals dismissed during 1940-41 .. .. . . .. 8 Appeals upheld during 1940-41 .. .. . . .. 10 Appeals withdrawn and struck out, 1940-41 .. .. .. 2 — 20 Appeals outstanding on 31st March, 1941 .. . . .. 21 Percentage upheld, 50. Of the 20 cases dealt with during the past year, 11 were heard at Auckland, 7 being upheld ; 7 at Wellington, 1 being upheld ; and 2 at Christchurch, both of which were upheld. MISCELLANEOUS. Medical treatment of war pensioners during 1940-41 cost £23,989. Railway concessions to war pensioners on maximum permanent disablement pension and those with locomotor disabilities on permanent pension in excess of 50 per cent, cost £4,000 during the year. The loading paid on life-insurance policies of war pensioners due to war-service disability amounted to £169 for the year. Temporary war pensions to soldiers decreased by 450 and permanent pensions to soldiers increased by 338 during the year. The 525 deaths among war pensioners are made up as follows : Soldiers, 247 ; widows of soldiers, 23 ; other dependants, 255. WAR VETERANS' ALLOWANCES. Since the passing of the War Veterans' Allowances Act in October, 1935, 3,953 cases have been granted, of which 2,033, with an annual value of £209,445, were in force as at 31st March, 1941. These comprised 857 single veterans, 1,121 married veterans, 54 widows, and 1 grant on account of an orphaned child. The total dependent children in receipt of allowances as at 31st March, 1941, numbered 1,563. WAR VETERANS' ALLOWANCES APPEALS. Appeals outstanding on 31st March, 1940 .. .. .. 3 Appeals lodged during 1940-41 .. .. . . .. .. 13 — 16 Appeals dismissed during 1940-41 .. .. .. .. 4 Appeals upheld during 1940-41 .. .. .. . . 10 Appeals withdrawn and struck out, 1940-41. . .. .. 1 — 15 Appeals outstanding on 31st, March, 1941 .. .. .. ..1 Percentage upheld, 66-6.

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