Details on separation allowances

[Desmond7]

Advertisement from May 14.1915 Ballymena Observer.

Someone had a post on the other day about benefits for service men's families. I couldn't find the original post so I hope this is what they meant:-

From March 1, the Separation Allowances paid by the Govt. to wives and children of soldiers have been increased so that the total weekly payment to the family, if the soldier makes the usual allotment from his pay, is as follows:-

Wife, per week (cpl. or pte.) 12/6 ... Sgt. 15/-

Wife and 1 child 17/6 20/-

Wife and 2 children 21/- 23/6

Wife and 3 children 23/- 25/6

and so on with an addition of 2/- for each additional child.

Each motherless child per week 5/-

From Feb. 1 1915 Separation Allowance is oayable for all children up to the age of 16 years.

Allowances for other dependents

If an unmarried solider has supported dependent or deopendents for a reasonable period, and wishes to continue the support he gave, the Govt. will help, during the war. by making a grant of separation allowance, porovided he will contribute a portion of his pay.

The max. rate of allowance willas a rule be the same for a wife, but in cases where the soldier supported more than one dpendent, the max. allowance will be at a wife's rate for one dependent and at a children's rate for the others as shown in following examples.

If a soldier suppirted his mother only

the weekly maximum allowance will be 12/6

father and mother 17/6

his mother and thre brothers or sisters 23/-

Excuse the typos.