B—6

War Pensions In regard to war pensions, the major portion of the ex-servicemen suffering minor disabilities for which they are receiving war pension,, are following normal employment, and will benefit in any increase in the general wage level. The Government is concerned, however about the pensioner whose disability is so severe as to prevent him from accepting suitable employment, and is obliged to apply for economic pension to supplement his disablement pension. Hitherto,, the economic pension for an ex-serviceman has been £1 15s. a week, and it is proposed to increase that rate to £2 ss. a week. A single man who is totally disabled will therefore receive £3 a week disablement pension plus £2 ss. a week economic pension, making a totalpension of £5 ss. a week. A totally disabled married man with a wife and two children,, will receive—- P er week. £ s. d. Disablement pension .. ..300 Economic pension .. ..250 Mothers' allowance .. .. 1 10 0 Children's allowance (2) .. 10 0 Total .. .. £7 15 0 as against £7 ss. a week formerly. The war widow who is under 40 years of age and who has never had a child will have the basic rate of her war pension increased from £2 a week to £2 ss. a week. If she is unable to supplement her income by accepting suitable employment, she may claim in addition an economic pension of £1 a week, making a total pension of £3 ss. a week. War widows over 40 years of age or widows who have ceased toqualify for a family benefit or mothers' allowance will have the basic rate of benefit increased from £2 a week to £2 ss. a week, and in addition the economic pension payable in cases where they are unable to work increased from £1 to £1 ss. a week, making a total war pension of £3 10s. a week. War widows with dependent children in the home will receive an increase in the basic rate of war pension from £2 a week to £2 ss. a week, and in addition the economic pension is increased from £1 to£l ss. a week. Thus a war widow with two dependent children will receive a basic pension of £2 ss. a week, a mothers' allowance of £1 10s. a week, an economic pension of £1 ss. a week, and a children's allowance (2) of £1 a week, making a/ total of £6 a week. The basic rate of war pension for the wholly dependent widowed mother of a deceased serviceman is increased from £2 a week to* £2 ss. a week, and her economic pension is also increased from £1 a week to £1 ss. t a week, making a total pension of £3 10s. a week.

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