§ Mr. GALBRAITHasked the Comptroller of the Household what are the qualifying ages and incomes and the rates of State pensions granted in New Zealand and Australia compared with the old age pensions paid in this country?
§ Mr. BALDWINUnder the Old Age Pension Acts of 1908 and 1911 a person of the age of seventy who has satisfied the pension authorities that he or she fulfils the statutory conditions and has not incurred one of the statutory disqualifications is paid a pension at the following rates:
206W
s. d. When the means do not exceed £21 a year 5 0 When the means exceed £21 and do not exceed £28 12s. 6d 4 0 When the means exceed £23 12s. 6d. and do not exceed £26 5s. 3 0 When the means exceed £26 5b. and do not exceed £28 17s. 6d. 2 0 When the means exceed £28 17s. 6d. and do not exceed £ 21 10s. 1 0 When the means exceed £31 10s Nil. In addition, the Government are paying during the War an additional allowance at the rate of 2s. 6d. a week to all pensioners whose means as estimated under the Old Age Pensions Acts do not exceed the statutory limit for a pension (Cd. 8658).
It may also be mentioned that during the War existing pensioners are being allowed in certain oases to continue drawing their pension money notwithstanding that their means have increased beyond the appropriate statutory limit (Cd. 8320). Thus action is not in general being taken for reduction or revocation of existing old age pensions in consequence of the pensioners earning increased wages so long as the weekly total of their earnings and other means does not exceed 30s.
As regards Australia and New Zealand, I am informed by the representatives of those Dominions in this country that the position is as follows:
Under the Invalid and Old Age Pensions Acts, 1908–16, of the Commonwealth of Australia males who have attained the age of sixty-five years, or sixty years if permanently incapacitated for work, and women who have attained the age of sixty years, are entitled to receive such pension as will suffice to bring their total income, including pension, up to £58 10s. per annum, provided that the rate of pension so granted does not exceed £32 10s. per
Under the New Zealand Old Age Pensions Acts a male of the age of sixty-five and female of sixty (reduced to sixty and fifty-five, respectively, where the applicant is the parent of two or more children under fourteen years of age for the maintenance of whom he or she is responsible) who has satisfied the pension authorities that he or she fulfils the 207W statutory conditions and has not incurred one of the statutory disqualifications is paid a pension at the rate of £26 per annum where the annual income of the applicant if single does not reach £60, and if married £100.
The full pension of £26 is reduced by
- (1) £1 for every complete £1 of income over £34.
- (2) £7 for every complete £10 of net accumulated property.
- (3) £1 for every year or part of a year by which the age of the applicant is less than sixty-five years.
No reduction is made from old age pensions on receipt of pension under the New Zealand War Pensions Act.
The net value of accumulated property must not be £260 or over.
Under the New Zealand Finance Act, 1917, provision is made for the payment during the present War with Germany, and for twelve months thereafter, of a supplementary allowance of £13 a year to every person in receipt of an old age pension.