H.— 9.

WAR PENSIONS. The general administration of the various enactments providing for pensions and allowances in respect of service in the present and former wars and the carrying-out of decisions of the War Pensions Board and the War Pensions Appeal Board are functions of the Social Security Department. LEGISLATION. Section 17 of the Finance Act, 1941 (effective from Ist September, 1941), amended the war veterans' allowances legislation as follows : — (a) The rate of allowance payable in respect of each child of a veteran was increased from £13 to £26 per annum : (b) The maximum basic allowance payable in respect of a veteran, his wife and children, was increased from £156 to £208 per annum : (ci) The limit up to which the basic allowance could be supplemented on economic grounds was increased from £182 to £234 per annum.

Dissections of War Pensions current at 31st March, 1942.

Economic Pensions payable at 31st March, 1942, in Supplementation of Statutory War Pensions.

Pensions payable outside New Zealand at 31st March, 1942.

Summary of War Pension Payments.

3

War Pensions Act, 1915. War Extension Act, , fotals _ Number Number Annual Nu $ ber Number _4 nnua ] Number Number AmmaI Pensioners Children. Value ' doners. chMren - ValU6 ' Pensioners Children. Va,ue ' Ex-members of forces — £ £ J £ Permanent .. .. 12,171 8 806,836 24 .. 1,277 12,195 8j 808,113 Temporary .. .. 3,433 1 267,688 2,209 .. 202,196 5,642 4 I 469,884 Dependants of disabled ex- 2,932 3,656 237,711 339 379 29,477 3,271 4,035 ! 267,188 members Widows .. .. .. 1,953 599 217,419 545 440 73,168 2,498 1,039 290,587 Other dependants of deceased 2,405 97 89,552 180 76 7,281 2,585 173 96,833 members : — Totals .. 22,894 4,364 1,619,206 3,297 895 313,399 26,191 5,259 1,932,605

itt r> . a i inir War Pensions Extension m , , War Pensions Act, 1915. total. Class of Pension. Number. Annual Value. Number. Number. Annual Value. £ £ £ Ex-members with permanent '2,641 196,303 4 312 2,645 196,615 pensions Ex-members with temporary 1,068 80,180 726 56,135 1,794 136,315 pensions Widows .. .. .. 724 27,060 256 8,388 980 35,448 Widowed mothers .. .. 98 4,530 57 2,690 155 7,220 Totals .. .. 4,531 308,073 1,043 67,525 5,574 375,598

W P n • ar P ens i° ns Class of Pension. f r , ? nS Extension Act, Total. Act, 1915. 104O Ex-members of forces — Permanent .. • • • ■ • ■ • • 849 .. 849 Temporary .. .. .. .. . . 54 13 67 Wives and parents of ex-members: Temporary . . 110 1 111 Dependants of deceased members— Widows .. . • •. . • ■ ■ 214 12 226 Other dependants .. .. .. .. 322 8 330 Totals .. .. .. .. .. 1,549 JS4 1,583

Payments made in Total. London. Australia. Canada. Jjjyga CmmtrS 6W Zealand. £ £ £ £ £ £ £ Total payments to 31st 1,304,914 849,676 47,433 9,700 14,086 30,635,712 32,861,521 March, 1941 Payments in 1941-42 .. 46,285 31,739 3,752 484 841 1,713,577 *1,796,678 Total payments to 31st 1,351,199 881,415 ! 51,185 10,184 14,927 32,349,289 34,658,199 March, 1942 * Includes £178,135 in respect of war pensions in connection with the present war and £1,062 to members of the Emergency Reserve Corps.