December 2007

Welfare

There have been some queries about who is entitled to welfare assistance through the RSA. Just about every person in New Zealand will know that the RSAs are out on the streets of cities, towns and villages on Poppy Day, the Friday before ANZAC Day, collecting money in exchange for poppies.

The funds collected are used in the local area. The original intent was to help returned men and their immediate families following the horrors of World War I. In recent years many RSAs have widened the scope of who they can help by informing their public that money collected on Poppy Day will be used for all veterans and ex-service people (not just RSA members) and the immediate families of those groups. Unfortunately associate members cannot receive help from Poppy Day funds, but the local RSA may well have other welfare funds that can be used to help them.

Financial assistance to help with the cost of new spectacles, dentures, motorised mobility scooters, house maintenance and small operations such as cataract removal, and a myriad of other needs can be obtained by talking to your local RSA Welfare Officer. There will be forms that need to be completed, because quite sensibly the person who has $20,000 in savings who requires $200 towards a new pair of spectacles is less likely to receive help than the person who only has about $1,000 in the bank.

The local RSA and RNZRSA cannot just hand out money without any supporting evidence of the need for the particular item or service. So you will be asked about your financial circumstances. You may find this a bit daunting, but all welfare officers are asked to maintain the privacy of their clients at all times.

The RSA does not expect you to be down to your last few dollars before assistance is given. We are all aware that you need to have a little bit in the bank to cover emergencies, and many will relate to the thought that they have saved money for their funeral.

Some RSAs can provide an applicant for help with the full sum needed. Others will spread the load between themselves, RNZRSA and the Elgar Trust. Where there are other trusts available those will also be asked to contribute. If you, as the applicant, do have some money in the bank you may well be asked to contribute some funds to whatever is being purchased. Between the various contributors we would hope that the vast majority, if not all, the funding needed will be found.

I have to tell you that local RSAs and RNZRSA do not normally have sufficient funds available for very expensive items, but we may be able to assist with something along the way.

For British and other Commonwealth veterans and ex-service people the RSA can help you to obtain assistance by going through the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League (RCEL) or the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund (RAF BF). RCEL is the conduit into military charitable organisations, mostly in Britain, but it can be from other Commonwealth countries; and the RAF BF looks after those who have served with the RAF. Again, all you need to do is to contact the welfare officer at the local RSA and ask for help. They will assist you with form completion. The completed forms are sent to RNZRSA for onwards transmission to London. I would normally receive a response within a few days on whether help can be given or not.

So, please don’t be shy. If you need help, please ask for it; that’s what we are here to do for you. It may well be that you go in asking about that new pair of spectacles and come out not only knowing that help is on its way, but that you have also been informed about other things that can help you; such as what you can claim on the Disability Allowance, the possibilities of a higher War Disablement Pension or even that you might be entitled to a rates rebate.

I hope that you all have an enjoyable Christmas and New Year period meeting and greeting friends and family and I look forward to catching up with you next year, either through the pages of the RSA Review or by direct contact.