Flaget
CODE 18 - 77
Quartrill
Mr Qu
NUpto I thoupson o.r.
BW 2414
for briefing.
noted
جماعا
Reference
I agree that this is something N Thompson night discuss in Hong Kong.
What we need to be sure about is that it is recognized that somebody who is on public assistance for more than 12 months is likely to the in need of much more for-reaching help them somebody who is supply out of a job for a couple of months before hd gets started again 11/14
HONG KONG: SOCIAL SECURITY
1.
Following David Wilson's letter on Hong Kong's proposals for long- term supplements under their Public Assistance Scheme, you asked for information on the UK system.
2.
From the attached booklets you will see that UK supplementary allowances form part of a wide range of social benefits payable to those in need. The Scheme takes into account the income received from other resources, i.e. pensions, unemployment benefit, and also every day out-goings such as food, clothing and fuel bills. It does not include rent, for which there is separate provision, nor major items of expenditure. There is a high scale of payments for people receiving benefit for more than two years, and there is also, exceptionally, provision for lump sum payments in cases of dire need.
3. The Hong Kong proposals certainly fall far behind the UK's elaborate system of payments, but I am not sure whether an exact model of the UK scheme would in any case work in Hong Kong.
I would agree that to hand out a lump sum of HK $500 to an impoverished family would do little to solve their long-term problems, financial or otherwise. But the sum of HK $2,400 originally suggested would certainly be a greater help to those receiving long-term public assistance. It could be argued that Hong Kong should increase its long-term supplementary benefits in the same preparation as the Keng's two-tier system, although it would perhaps be easier and fairer for us to agree with the Hong Kong Social Service Department the criteria upon which the lump sum payments are based. The vast difference between the suggested amounts of HK $2,400 and HK $500 could also be investigated.
4.
Subject to the views of the OLA and yourself, I suggest that Mr Thompson could look at this problem during his visit to Hong Kong in May. He has no objection to doing this.
10 April 1978
HKK 934/1.
INDEX по
1973
M J Upton HKGD
K 270 Ext 4483