Many people are unaware of the history of the old age pension. The full facts are as follows. From 1908
(when the first Old Age Pension Act was passed) to 1919 (the date of the third Act), full pension was statutorily limited to 5/- a week. In 1915, however, the means test was relaxed and action for the withdrawal or reduction of pensions on account of temporary increases of means, such as wages, separation allowances or allotments, was suspended so long as the wages and other means did not exceed 30/- a week in urban districts or 20/- a week in rural districts. In 1918 the limit of 30/- a week was made general. Additional allowances of from 6d. to 2/6d. a week to pensioners suffering special hardship through the war began in 1916, and were extended in 1917 at the fixed rate of 2/6d. a week to all pensioners, except those whose means exceeded the statutory limits but who retained their pension by reason of the 1915 concession relating to the means test. Broadly speaking, therefore, the maximum rate of pension was increased in 1917 to 7/6d. a week. By the Old Age Pensions Act, 1919, following upon an enquiry by a Departmental Committee of which Sir Ryland Adkins was Chairman, it was increased to the present level of 10/-.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.