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SOCIAL WELFARE
severely disabled and has resided in Hong Kong continuously for at least one year before claiming the allowance, is eligible for a disability allowance. Any person aged 70 or over is eligible to apply for an old age allowance provided he has resided continuously in Hong Kong for at least five years immediately before doing so. The current rates of the disability and old age allowances are $510 and $255 respectively. The number of people receiving these two allowances at the end of the year was 255 470, compared with 235 220 at the end of 1983. Expenditure on special needs allowances in the 1983-4 financial year was $709.2 million, an increase of $86.3 million over the previous year.
The Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation Scheme provides financial assistance for those injured, and for dependants of those killed in violent crimes or through the actions of law enforcement officers in the execution of their duties. The scheme is non-means-tested and is administered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board and the Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation Board. Total payments in 1984 amounted to $4 million, compared with $2.9 million in 1983.
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The Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Scheme is non-means-tested and aims at providing immediate financial assistance to traffic accident victims, or their dependants in the case of death, regardless of who was at fault in causing the accident. For a person to be eligible for assistance, a report must be made to the police and the application has to be made within six months of the date of the accident. In the case of injury, assistance is given where evidence of at least three days' sick leave can be produced in the form of a medical certificate signed by a registered medical practitioner. The scheme covers only traffic accidents as defined under the Traffic Accident Victims (Assistance Fund) Ordinance. Damage to property is not covered, but the scheme does not affect the applicant's right to claim common law damages in the usual way. Beneficiaries of the scheme who subsequently receive other compensation in respect of the same accident are required to refund the payments they have received from the scheme or the amount of compensation, whichever is less. During the year, 6 060 applications were received; 5 490 were approved for assistance, and payments amounted to $32 million.
Emergency relief is provided to victims of natural and other disasters in the form of immediate material aid such as hot meals, blankets and other essentials. In addition, grants from the Emergency Relief Fund are made to victims of such disasters. During the year, emergency relief was given on 145 occasions to 7 550 registered victims.
To prevent abuse of the various schemes, a special team conducts in-depth investigations in cases of suspected fraud or over-payment. During the year, the team completed investigations into 192 cases, some of which were later referred to the Attorney General for legal advice and possible prosecution.
The Social Security Appeal Board is an independent body which considers appeals from individuals against decisions by the Social Welfare Department concerning public assistance, special needs allowances and traffic accident victims assistance payments. It heard a total of 49 appeals during the year. Of these, 10 related to public assistance, 38 to special needs allowances, and one to traffic accident victims assistance.
Services for Offenders
The overall objective is to give effect to the directions of the courts on the treatment of offenders by social work methods, with the aim of reintegrating them into the community through probation supervision, residential training, and remand home and after-care services.
Probation applies to offenders of all age groups. The probation officer provides supervision and personal guidance to probationers through regular home visits and