First review of the Public Assistance Scheme
81. As a result of a review of the public assistance scheme during the year, improvements to the scheme were approved in March 1972. These improvements included a 60% rise in the scales of assistance, higher allowances for rents and more generous allowances for recipients requiring a special diet. As from 1st April, 1972 the monthly scale of assistance was to be raised from $70 to $110 for a single person, and for members of a family, from $50 to $80 for each of the first three mem- bers, from $40 to $65 for each of the next three and from $30 to $50 for each additional member. The maximum rent allowance was to be based on Government low cost housing level rather than Mark IV resettlement estate level, with provision for long term cases paying higher rents to be eligible for compassionate resettlement.
EMERGENCY RELIEF
82. Emergency relief is usually given in the form of hot meals, provided from the two large kitchens situated at Happy Valley and Hung Hom, which can produce a maximum of 110,000 meals a day. In addition, blankets, clothing, eating utensils etc. supplied either by Government or voluntary welfare agencies are distributed as required. During the year, 18,179 persons were made homeless as a result of 148 major and minor disasters resulting from typhoons, fires, shipwrecks, house collapses, and closure of dangerous buildings. The major natural disaster, Typhoon 'Rose', rendered 9,853 persons homeless and 97 killed. The Community Relief Trust Fund, the purpose of which is to make grants and loans to persons or families who are in need as a result of natural disasters, expended a total of $5.317,162.49 out of which $4,351,504 were given to victims of Typhoon 'Rose'. Full details of assistance given can be seen at Appendix 17.
LEGAL AID
83. The Public Assistance Division assists the Director of Legal Aid to investigate the financial means of persons applying for legal aid. During the year, 2,234 applications were dealt with by the Division, as compared with 2,255 during the previous year.
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