H.—lB.

Economic Pensions payable at 31st March, 1935.

War Pension Appeals. Appeals outstanding on 31st March, 1934 .. .. .. . . 265 Appeals lodged during 1934-35 .. .. .. .. .. 947 1,212 Appeals dismissed during 1934-35.. .. .. .. ..417 Appeals upheld during 1934-35 .. .. .. .. .. 434 Appeals withdrawn and struck out, 1934-35 .. .. .. 36 887 Appeals outstanding on 31st March, 1935 .. .. .. 325 Percentage upheld, 48-9 per cent. The total number of appeals dealt with to the 31st March, 1935, was 6,414, the percentage upheld being 48 per cent. Of the 887 cases dealt with during the past year, 530 were heard at Auckland, 52-4 per cent, being upheld ; 106 at Wellington, 34-9 per cent, being upheld ; 102 at Christchurch, 41 per cent, being upheld ; and 149 at Dunedin, 51 per cent, being upheld.

Medical treatment of war pensioners during 1934-35 cost £67,912. Railway concessions to war pensioners on maximum permanent disablement pension and those with locomotive disabilities on permanent pension in excess of 50 per cent, cost £1,684 during the year. The loading paid on life-insurance policies of war pensioners due to war-service disability amounted to £175 for the year. Temporary war pensions to soldiers increased by 113 and permanent pensions to soldiers increased by 300 during the year. The 445 deaths among war pensioners are made up as follows : Soldiers, 146 ; widows of soldiers, 9 ; other dependants, 290. Family Allowances. The claims lodged during the year totalled 2,481, which, with the 262 outstanding from the previous year, made a total of 2,743 to be dealt with. Of these, 2,166 were accepted and 295 rejected. Of the rejected claims 135 represent cases where the income of the family was in excess of the limit allowed. 430 new claims from Maoris were finally dealt with during the year, 328 being granted and 102 rejected. The total children of the 12,321 allowances in force as at 31st March, 1935, and those in excess of two in a family numbered 54,040 and 29,398, the average per family being 4-39 and 2-39 respectively. The total amount paid during the year was £152,818, while the total annual value of all allowances in force at the close of the year was £151,169.

Weekly Rates at which Allowances granted.

Numbers according to Size of Family.

Weekly Incomes of Families.

2—H. 18.

3

Average Class. Number. Annual Value. Annual Grant. £ £ Soldiers with permanent pensions .. .. .. 1,370 71,202 52 Soldiers with temporary pensions .. .. .. 1,357 71,010 52 Widows with children .. .. .. .. 59 1,392 24 Widows without children .. .. .. .. 209 6,498 31 Widowed mothers .. .. .. .. .. 180 6,217 35 Totals 3,175 156,319 49

Weekly Rate. Is. 2s. 3s. 4s. 5s. 6s. 7s. 8s. 9s. 10s. 12s. 14s. 16s. 18s. Number granted 8 1,249 8 497 3 233 J 2 94 1 48 18 4 .. 1

Number of Children | 2 3 4 5 6789 in Excess of Two. Number of families .. 1,240 497 243 101 54 22 6 3

„ T , , T m j j Over £1 and up Over £2 and up Over £3 and up r>™. ro k„ Weekly Income. £1 and under. tQ £2 _ to £3 . F to £3 5s. Over £3 5s. Number of families .. 178 983 642 337 26