VPRS 13353 Court of Petty Sessions Register of Applications for Victorian Old-age Pension

As part of the Federal Invalid and Old-age Pension Act, 1908, the Federal Government instituted old-age pensions to every man of sixty-five years and over and every woman of sixty years and over provided they met certain conditions from 1st July 1909. Invalid pensions were instituted from 18th November 1910.Victoria was the first State in Australia to provide for old-age pensions. The Old-age Pensions Act (No.1706) was passed in 1900, and the system came into operation on 1st January 1901.Applicants had to meet certain conditions to be eligible for the pension. The conditions were described in the schedule attached to the Act. Applicants had to meet residency requirements, not have a substantial criminal record, not have deserted their wives or children, qualify under a means test and be aged sixty-five or over.The pension was also to be granted to people less than sixty-five years in circumstances of ill-health (permanently disabled or in permanent ill-health having been engaged in hazardous occupations).Regulations published in the Government Gazette on 4 January 1901, described how to apply for a pension. An application form could be obtained from a clerk of the Court of Petty Sessions or a postmaster and after completion was to be submitted to a clerk of Petty Sessions. Each application was then reviewed by a Police Magistrate or any two Justices who sitting as a Court of Petty Sessions (but not an open court), would assess the eligibility of the applicant. If the person were entitled to the pension, then the amount was also specified. An eligible person then received a certificate that entitled him or her collect the pension.Information recorded in the register included: registration number, name of applicant, address of applicant, date application received, decision (granted, refused, withdrawn, etc.), and date decision made.From 1901 to 1910, the Under-Treasurer was the Registrar of Old-age Pensions. It would appear that from the 1909-1910 when the Federal Invalid and Old-age Pension Act were implemented, state old-age pensions were discontinued.VPRS 13353/P1, unit 1 was reserialised from VPRS 339/P in 2003.