H.—9

1942. NEW ZEALAND.

SOCIAL SECURITY DEPARTMENT. REPORT FOR THE TWELVE MONTHS ENDED 31st MARCH, 1942.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly -pursuant to the Provisions of the Social Security Act, 1938.

In so far as the Social Security Legislation is concerned, this report deals with Part II of the Act only. Reports on the operation of Part 111 and Part IV of the Act will be submitted by the Health and Land and Income Tax Departments respectively.

REPORT.

To the Hon. the Minister of Social Security. Sir, — Social Security Department, Wellington, 24th June, 1942. I have the honour to submit for the information of Parliament the third annual report of the Social Security Department, for the period Ist April, 1941, to 31st March, 1942. NEW LEGISLATION. During the year the Act was amended (from Ist September, 1941) by provisions of the Finance Act, 1941, affecting monetary benefits as follows : — (a) The additional amount which could be granted to an age beneficiary in respect of his wife not qualified for benefit in her own right was increased from £13 to £26 per annum, and the limit of income and benefit (exclusive of benefit in respect of children) was increased from £156 to £182 per annum : (b) The additional amount payable in respect of, any child of an age beneficiary was increased from £13 to £26 per annum, subject to a limitation of £234 per annum on the total benefit: (c) The family-benefit provisions were extended to cover all children of a family instead of only the second and subsequent children in each case : (d) The maximum invalids' benefit was increased from £208 to £234 per annum : (e) The amount payable by way of sickness benefit in respect of each child of an applicant for such benefit was increased from ss. to 10s. a week. A provision affecting age benefits only was included in section 8 of the Finance Act (No. 2), 1941, by which the Commission is empowered, in computing the income of any person whose income is required to be taken into account for the purposes of an application for such benefit, to disregard, to such extent as might be necessary for the adjustment of any anomaly, amounts paid or payable by way of social security charge or national security tax. This provision has applied with respect to age benefits granted or renewed since Ist November, 1941.