5.10
Notwithstanding the conclusion reached in the preceding paragraphs, it may be advisable to encourage, in appropriate fields, the growth of non-profit self-financed services. This would lead to more resources being devoted to social welfare services and enable the Govern- ment to concentrate on other forms of social welfare where privately financed services would not be practicable. Child care centres and homes for the aged seem to be suitable services for testing these ideas and the Government will examine the possibility of devising a workable system.
Fee Charging
5.11
The Government is convinced that the key to establishing a satisfactory relationship between social security and social welfare services lies in a consistent and effective policy on fees for social welfare services. In general, voluntary agencies are often reluctant to charge fees because their perceived and traditional role is to serve less well-off families. However, social security benefits have come a long way since the days of dry rations and cooked meals. It is not unreason- able for those who receive social security benefits to be asked to make some contribution to the cost of services which they enjoy. In particular the Special Needs Allowances are intended to enable specific client groups to purchase services, where appropriate. Expenditure on social security benefits is an increasing and open-ended commitment. There is a growing demand for new and better social welfare services and because overseas aid is no longer forthcoming, the Government has perforce to make available most of the funds required for these services. At the same time, needs in other areas such as housing, education and health are also increasing and have to be met. Resources available for social welfare services cannot therefore be unlimited. All these factors point to a need for a reappraisal of the present practice on fee charging to reconcile the Government's social security benefits to needy individuals and the financial subsidies given to voluntary agencies in providing services, and to ensure that the Government's objectives in each area of service are not frustrated by making a service free. For example, an elderly person who receives both Public Assistance and an Old Age Allowance, but who pays nothing or very little towards his care and maintenance in an old people's home, would obviously be better off than an elderly person who has to be looked after by his family. This would be unjust and would conflict with the Government's objective of promoting care of the elderly in the community.
5.12
To assist the voluntary agencies, guidelines for fee charging are now being formulated. These guidelines will attempt to strike a balance between the need not to discourage users of a particular service on the one hand, and to the need, on the other hand, to ensure that the aims of individual services and cash benefits are met and that misuse of a particular service is not un- wittingly encouraged because it is free. In general, provided that government financed social welfare services continue to cater for those with limited means, it is not proposed that the level of fees should aim to recover the full cost of providing a particular service. Moreover, revenue from fees would make it possible for services to be improved and extended to all those who require them sooner than might otherwise be possible.
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