SOCIAL WELFARE
176
Under the pre-July scheme, public assistance payments used to comprise four com- ponents: basic allowance, rent allowance, supplements and special grants. Essential needs such as food, clothing, fuel and light were met by the basic allowance. Rates of the basic allowance were increased across-the-board by nine per cent, in April, to keep pace with inflation. The eligibility criteria under the two schemes remain the same.
The Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme is built on three simple com- ponents: a range of standard rates for different categories of applicant, rent and special grants to meet individual needs. Depending on the needs of the applicant, the monthly standard rates range between $1,035 to $2,835 for a single adult; $1,260 to $3,055 for a single child; $895 to $2,570 for an adult family member; and $995 to $2,795 for a child in the family. To cover the cost of accommodation, a separate allowance is paid. Those who have received comprehensive social security assistance continuously for 12 months are given an annual long-term supplement to enable them to meet the cost of replacing household wares and durable goods: $1,145 for a single person; $2,290 for a family with two to four members; and $3,435 for a family with five or more members. In addition, special grants are given, where necessary, to meet other needs such as school fees, travel or special diets. To encourage self-help, an individual's monthly earnings of up to $775 may be disregarded in the calculation of assistance payable.
At the end of 1993, the number of comprehensive social security assistance cases was 92 000, compared with 79 700 public assistance cases in 1992. The majority of recipients were the elderly, the disabled and single parent families. Expenditure on comprehensive social security assistance during the year amounted to $2,073.8 million, representing an increase of 54.9 per cent from the previous year.
The Social Security Allowance Scheme, which replaced the Special Needs Allowance Scheme on July 1, provides flat-rate allowances for the severely disabled and the elderly. Any person who is certified to be severely disabled and who has resided continuously in Hong Kong for at least one year immediately before application, is eligible for a disability allowance. To be eligible for an old age allowance, a person must have resided in Hong Kong for at least five years since the age of 60.
Under the new scheme, persons receiving comprehensive social security assistance would be no longer eligible to apply for these payments. Their level of benefits will, however, be maintained under the new arrangements.
The allowances were revised upwards by nine per cent in April 1993 to reflect the rise in the cost of living.
A higher disability allowance, which is twice the normal rate, is payable to severely disabled persons who require constant attendance from others in their daily life but are not receiving such care in a government or subvented institution. The current monthly rate for the disability allowance is $900 and, for the higher disability allowance, $1,800. The allowance is non-means-tested.
Old age allowance is also non-means-tested for those aged 70 and above, and they are entitled to $510 per month. For those aged 65 to 69, the monthly allowance is set at $450, subject to a declaration that income and assets do not exceed the prescribed levels.
The number of people receiving disability and old age allowances at the end of the year was 468 600, compared with 501 200 at the end of 1992. Expenditure on social security allowances during the year was $3,051.9 million, representing an increase of 6.7 per cent over the previous year.