VPRS 10869 District Registers of Invalid and Old-Age Pension Claims

Full description

This series documents the carrying out of responsibilities delegated to local Clerks of Courts under Commonwealth Invalid and Old Age Pensions Acts which began in 1908.

Local Clerks of Courts could be appointed under this Act to act as a Registrar of Pensions with the duties of receiving pension claims, investigating these claims and keeping appropriate records (Section 11). Claims, once investigated, were then to be referred to a Magistrate able to investigate further and eventually make a recommendation regarding the acceptability of the claim (Sections 30 and 31). The Registrar then had the duty of transmitting that recommendation with the Magistrates endorsement, to the Deputy Commissioner of Pensions.

Details were entered under the headings of: Date of Receipt of Claim; Surname; Christian Name; Occupation; Date when finally dealt with by Magistrate; Nature of Magistrates Recommendation; Date when Claim and Magistrates Recommendation sent to Deputy Commissioner (of Pensions for each State); Short Particulars of Income and Property as Accepted by the Magistrate and Remarks.