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3.3
13
Whilst the overall public assistance framework remains
appropriate, the review identified a number of areas requiring
improvements. Accordingly various proposals were made in the Green
Paper on Social Security Development which was published in late
1977. As these proposals drew generally favourable response and in
order that help may be available quickly to those in need, the
following improvements were introduced in April 1978:
(i)
a long term supplement of $500 for a family
and $250 for a single person is now payable
annually to all those who continue to receive
Public Assistance after a period of 12 months.
This enables needy families to purchase household
replacements and to meet similar expenses which
have to be faced over a long period of time.
The introduction of this long term supplement
replaces the previous practice of approving periodic
discretionary grants which by their very nature
could not be applied consistently.
(ii)
to meet the additional expenses of looking after
an elderly family member, an Old Age Supplement of
half the basic Public Assistance rate for a single
person is now added to the basic scale of allowances
for any Public Assistance recipient aged 60 and
over who is not receiving a Disability or Old Age
This supplement is paid in addition to
Allowance.
the long term supplement and should lessen whe
financial burden of families who have elderly
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