H—9

SECTION III.—GENERAL SUMMARY BENEFITS AND PENSIONS IN FORCE AND TOTAL PAYMENTS

COST OF ADMINISTRATION Excluding expenditure of £18,349 on capital items, administration costs for the year amounted to £708,392, including £18,858 in respect of the administration of war pensions and allowances. This represents 1-88 per cent, on total payments. MISCELLANEOUS WAR SERVICEMEN'S DEPENDANTS' ALLOWANCE Benefits under Part II of the Act may be increased by an amount not exceeding £26 a year to parents of deceased members of the Forces and of the New Zealand Mercantile Marine. At the 31st March, 1945, there were 1,639 of these allowances in force, paid in conjunction with age, invalids', miners', and widows' benefits. This represents an increase of 118 over the figure for last year which was 1,521. REHABILITATION ALLOWANCES With the continued tapering-off of the number of service personnel demobilized the need for this allowance has declined, and there were no rehabilitation allowances in force as at 31st March, 1948. During the year 7 ex-servicemen were granted allowances, and the expenditure amounted to £95, compared with a total expenditure of £8,244, for the year ended 31st March, 1947.

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Class. I at 31st March, 1947. As at 31st Mareh, 1948. Number in Force. Annual Value. Total Payments, 1946-47. Number in Force. Annual Value. Total Payments, 1947-48. £ £ £ £ £ Universal superannuation .. 57,992 1,449,800 1,349,689 61,612 1,694,330 1,593,757 Age 115,287 12,450,996 11,881,119 117,161 14,223,345 12,976,286 Widows' 13,133 1,700,724 1,529,010 14,145 1,949,888 1,770,622 Orphans' 397 21,378 22,905 370 27,010 24,187 Family 230,021 12,746,760 12,680,778 243,137 13,542,730 13,798,648 Invalids' 12,466 1,333,862 1,328,485 10,682 1,406,285 1,367,300 Miners' 718 101,956 105,416 685 111,518 110,106 Maori War 1 104 104 1 117 111 Unemployment 35 24,332 16 8,358 Sickness 4,273 853,328 4,248 897,093 Emergency 1,845 134,288 2,141 227,857 War, 1914-18 20,081 1,968,042 2,036,825 19,715 2,097,676 2,049,391 War, 1939-45 30,028 2,173,632 2,080,952 28,249 1,899,678 2,031,194 War veterans' allowances 2,277 345,172 346,694 2,617 470,798 422,275 South African War 42 3,248 3,502 42 4,013 3,689 Mercantile Marine pensions .. 27 2,132 2,985 24 1,925 2,727 Emergency Reserve Corps .. 10 1,338 1,336 11 1,404 1,368 Sundry pensions and annuities 305 21,551 21,651 173 27,655 24,783 Civil Service Act, 1908 2 932 1,352 697 War and other pensions paid 3,156 299,112 414,354 3 j 619 39i,045 393,459 on behalf of the Governments of Great Britain, Australia, i 1 India, Canada, South Africa, 1 and Crown Colonies Total 492,096 34,620,739 34,819,105 508,648 37,849,417 37,703,908