28
T
value of Public Assistance was increased by 25% last July to reflect in
part the general improvement in the standard of living of the community.
Rent allowances were doubled for single persons and increased 11⁄2 times
for households with more than one member.
77.
The 1977 Green Paper "Help for Those Least Able to Help
Themselves" advocated a semi-voluntary contributory sickness, injury
and death benefit scheme. After much discussion with both sides of
***
industry your Government has concluded that this would be too difficult
to apply. But alternative proposals to cover the same risks, without i
employee contribution under the Employment Ordinance have now been
formulated, with the agreement of the Labour Advisory Board and both
sides of industry. These envisage entitlement to sick leave with pay
under the Employment Ordinance being extended up to an accumulated
maximum of 120 days, and again under the Employment Ordinance a death
grant being payable to the family of a wage-eamer at a flat rate of
$3,000 if the death occurs during employment, and subject to a qualifying
period of service. Where this death grant is not payable by the employer,
an equivalent grant, subject to certain conditions, would be payable
without means-test under the Special Needs Allowance (SNA) scheme
administered by the Social Welfare Department. Amendments to the
*
Employment Ordinance in the above sense will be introduced during this
session, and arrangements to introduce the death grant under the SNA
scheme are being made.
See HKK 01011(
010/127
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/Services for Youth and the Elderly
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