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SOCIAL WELFARE
Attention was also given to reviewing the provisions of the Protection of Women and Juveniles Ordinance and the Child Care Centres Ordinance, and proposals for amendments have been made in the light of changing needs and expectations.
To speed up the provision of welfare services in new public housing estates, efforts were made to finalise the drawing up of typical layout plans and fitting-out requirements for home-for-the-aged cum care-and-attention units. Together with day nurseries, children and youth centres, social centres, hostels for the elderly and half-way houses for the discharged mental patients, the number of services with standard layout plans placed under the Rolling Programme, will be increased to six. The Rolling Programme is an arrangement to entrust the Housing Department with carrying out the fitting-out work of welfare premises.
During the year, nine new day nurseries, five homes for the aged, eight social and day care centres for the elderly and seven children and youth centres were established. The provision of these additional services and the increase in the social security caseload were reflected in increased recurrent expenditure.
The total estimated expenditure on social security and social welfare services in the 1987-8 financial year - including Social Welfare Department recurrent expenditure and subventions to voluntary welfare agencies - is $2,878.9 million, an increase of more than 15 per cent over the previous provisions.
The Community Chest, which organises and co-ordinates fund-raising activities for its member agencies, raised $42 million in 1986-7, compared with $38.1 million in 1985–6.
Social Security
Social security schemes are non-contributory and are designed to meet the basic as well as the special needs of the vulnerable groups in the community who require financial assistance. These schemes include the Public Assistance Scheme, the Special Needs Allowance Scheme, the Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation Scheme, the Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Scheme and Emergency Relief.
The Public Assistance Scheme, which is means-tested, aims at bringing the income of needy individuals and families up to a prescribed level. The basic factors for determining eligibility criteria are the length of residence in Hong Kong, the level of income and savings, age and employment. A person must have resided in Hong Kong for at least one year and must prove that his income and other resources are insufficient to meet his basic needs. The Director of Social Welfare is empowered to waive the residence requirement in cases of genuine hardship. An able-bodied unemployed person aged 15 to 59 is eligible only if he is actively seeking employment and has registered with the Local Employment Service of the Labour Department.
The rates of assistance are regularly reviewed to keep up with the cost of living. The current monthly basic allowance is $510 for a single person, $370 for each of the first three eligible members of a family, $315 for each of the next three eligible members and $245 for each additional eligible member. Separate allowances are paid to cover the cost of accommodation. An old age supplement, a disability supplement and a long-term supple- ment may also be given. An old age supplement of $255 per month is given to those aged 60 and over who are not receiving a special needs allowance or a disability supplement. A disability supplement of $255 per month is payable to those who are partially disabled with at least 50 per cent loss of earning capacity and are not in receipt of an old age supplement or a special needs allowance. An annual long-term supplement of $1,290 for a family or $645 for a single person is given to those who have received public assistance continuously for 12 months to enable them to meet the cost of replacement of household wares and