H.—lB.

Cost or Administration. The cost of administration for the year amounted to £63,819, the principal items of expenditure being £31,197 for salaries of officers of the Department, who numbered 171 as at 31st March, 1935 ; £18,183 and £3,264 paid to the Postal Department respectively for payment of pensions and postage and telegrams ; £3,884 for salaries and other expenses of the War Pensions Appeal Board ; and £2,118 for salaries of the War Pensions Board. The. percentage of cost of administration to the total pension payments made of £3,561,284 (including £222,931 paid on behalf of other Governments) was 1-79, or 4-3 d. in the pound. Legislation. Sections 13 and 14 of the Finance Act (No. 2), 1934, provided for the maximum rate of old-age pensions to be increased from £40 19s. to £43 per annum as from Ist April, 1934. The same legislation increased the income exemption from £39 to £41 and the limiting amount of income and pension for married couples from £121 to £127 per annum. By section 15 of the same Act the income and pension limit of those South African War veterans in receipt of additional pension to the old-age pension under the provisions of section 45 of the Pensions Act, 1926, was increased from £79 19s. to £84.

Statistics in regard to Civil Pensions.

4

—— Old-age. Widows'. Maori War. Miners'. Blind. Epidemic. Pensions in force at 31st March, 1934 .. 37,507 4,619 86 / ?iZj. \ 438 68 I J New pensions granted, 1934-35 .. .. 5,934 687 .. 124 70 Deaths during 1934-35 .. .. .. 2,744 2 21 48 24 Cancellations during 1934-35 .. .. 556 799 .. 29 10 34 Net increase or decrease .. .. .. +2,634 —114 —21 +47 +36 —34 Pensions in force at 31st March, 1935 .. 40,141 4,505 65 115-j- J" 474 34 Total children in receipt of pension, 31st .. 9,196 .. .. .. 34 March, 1935 Total European pensioners sixty-five years and 31,679 over at 31st March, 1935 Total female European pensioners sixty years 6,617 to sixty-four years at 31st March, 1935 Total Maori pensioners .. .. .. 1,800 371 22 .. 59 J Pensioners under section 7 (b), Pensions Act, 45 1926 Percentage of European pensioners to total 2'6 European population New claims lodged .. .. .. 7,331 777 .. 210 92 New claims rejected .. .. .. 1,309 95 .. 75 28 Number of children on whose account pension .. 1,516 granted. Annual liability at 31st March, 1935 .. £1,583,413 £294,437 £3,185 £60,510 £22,151 £1,563 Average pension per annum .. .. £39 8 11 £65 7 2 £49 0 0 £77 5 7 £46 14 8 £45 19 5 Gross expenditure for year 1934-35 .. £1,519,889 £296,565 £3,607 £58,740 £21,227 £1,983 Increase or decrease on figures of previous +£168,907 —£5,455 —£915 +£1,930 +£1,921 —£1,307 year Cost per head of European population .. £1 0s. 6d. 4s. Od. 0'6d. 9-5d. 3-4d. 0-3d. Credit from national endowment .. .. £37,374 .. Befunds paid to Public Account .. .. £632 £148 .. .. £32 Number of pensioners in homes and hospitals 1,113 .. 6 6 115 Amount paid to controlling authorities of £49,343 .. £265 £381 £6,488 these Number of pensioners in mental hospitals .. 166 .. 1 Amount paid to Mental Hospitals Depart- £6,264 .. .. £24 ment on account of these Unpaid instalments as at 31st March, 1935 .. £6,660 £1,359 .. £141 £54 £3 Instalments forfeited and subsequently paid.. £1,596 £365 £12 £21 £46 Average of family under fifteen years .. .. 2'04 Total claims lodged to date' .. .. 141,121 19,116 1,893 2,857 883 Total claims established .. .. .. 111,334 16,324 1,698 2,249 651 972 Total claims rejected .. .. .. 29,120 2,747 195 590 226 Total number of children benefited.. .. .. 39,451 Total deaths .. .. .. .. 57,760 134 1,627 902 126 14 Total guardians appointed .. .. . . 364 Total cancellations .. .. .. 13,433 11,685 6 564 51 924 Grand total paid to date .. .. .. £23,377,017 £4,539,522 £604,860 £752,371 £150,866 £472,927 Total amount paid on account funeral expenses .. .. .. £8,168 Total credit from national endowment .. £778,320 * Miners. f Widows of miners. f Pensions may be granted to males sixty years and over and to females fifty-five years and over in cases where two or more children under fifteen are being maintained. The forty-five cases above comprise : European — Males, 60 and under 65, 37 ; females, 55 and under 60, 5 ; Maori' — Males, 60 and under 65, 3. Total European population at 31st March, 1935, 1,485,046.