GF 323
CONFIDENTIAL
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Public Assistance scale of allowances for anyone with a 50% or
more loss of earning capacity as defined in the Workmen's Compensa-
tion Ordinance, or who is suffering from a mental or physical
condition medically certified as being broadly equivalent. It will
not, however, be paid to those who are already receiving an Old Age
Supplement or a Special Needs Allowance since these payments are
intended to cover similar needs.
3.11
The advantages of proceeding in this manner are : firstly,
that help would be extended to those who most require it, that is,
to Public Assistance recipients and to the profoundly deaf, thus
reflecting the Public's preference; secondly, it would avoid the
administrative complexities of medical certification inherent in a
chronic sickness allowance; and thirdly, there would be no need for
a qualifying period of 18 months since anyone who met the proposed
criteria would qualify for help immediately.
3.12
In addition to the proposed extension of the Disability
Allowance to the profoundly deaf, other improvements have already
been introduced. In April 1978, the scheme was extended to those
in residential institutions who were previously ineligible. In
October 1978, the qualifying age for Old Age Allowance was lowered
from 75 to 70. These improvements are expected to bring in an
additional caseload of 65,000.
3.13
One other group which has been mentioned in public comments
for inclusion in the Special Needs Allowance scheme is the moderately
mentally retarded. The Government accepts the Social Welfare
Advisory Committee's view that there is not a sufficiently strong
case to give this group a non-means-tested allowance. The moderately
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