SJUKDAY, MEZI 15, 1975
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PROCESSING OF PUBLIC ASSIGZAME CASES GLARI FLED
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A SPOKESMAN FOR THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT DREW ATTENTION TO A REPORT IN AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER TODAY CONCERNING A SURVEY COVERING THE LAST THREE MONTHS IN 1974 THE FINDINGS OF WHICH ALLEGE THAT MORE THAN 90 PER CENT OF THOSE ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE HAVE TO WAIT FOR FOUR WEEKS OR LONGER BEFORE RECEIVING ANY HELP.
HE SAID THAT WHILE AT FIRST GLANCE THE FIGURES GIVEN IN THE SURVEY SUGGESTED A DISTURBING PICTURE, THE SURVEY INVOLVED ONLY IN ANY SENSE A COMPARATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF CASES WHICH WERE NOT IN ANY SENSE A VALID STATISTICAL SAMPLE
>ON THE CONTRARY, IT SEEMS FROM WHAT WE KNOW THAT THEY WERE CASES DRAWN FROM THE AGENCIES WHICH PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY, AND FAR FROM BEING A RANDOM SELECTION OF ALL PUBLIC ASSISTANCE CASES FROM WHICH GENERAL CONCLUSIONS · MIGHT BE DRAWN, THE SURVEY CASES WERE THOSE HANDLED BY THE AGENCIES THEMSELVES.+
THE OVERALL IMPRESSION GIVEN, NG WENT ON, IS THAT 17 IS THE DEPARTMENT WHICH WAS NECESSARILY AT FAULT. FOR EXAMPLE THE SURVEY. MAKES NO MENTION OF PRODLEMS WHICH THESE FAMILIES. MAY HAVE AND WHICH, CLEARLY, MIGHT WELI. TAKE LONGER THAN AVERAGE TO PROCESS IN TERMS OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE DUE TO THE NEED FOR DETAILED ENQUIRIES.
THE AGENCIES THEMSELVES ARE WELL AWARE OF THE FACT THAT IN QUITE A NUMBER OF FAMILY GASES, PARTICULARLY THE KIND THE SURVEY TOUCHED ON, A GREAT DEAL OF FOLLOWUP ACTION IS NECESSARY, FOR EXAMPLE, TO VERIFY STATEMENTS OR ODTAIN FURTHER INFORMATION.
*THERE ARE ALSO OCCASIONS WHEN IT HAS NOT ALWAYS DEEN POSSIBLE FOR THE FIELD WORKER TO CONTACT THE APPLICANT, OR IN OTHER INSTANCES, THE CLIENT DOES NOT CO-OPERATE IN COMPLETING THE INVESTIGATION FOR CHE REASON OR ANOTHER. YET THE SURVEY MAKES NO MENTION OF SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES,❖ HE POINTED OUT.
*NOR DOES IT BRING OUT THE POINT THAT OUR FIELD UNITS CAN, AND DO, MAKE EMERGENCY CASH PAYMENTS WHILE OUR ENQUIRIES ARE PROGRESSING. OVER THE PERIOD COVERED BY THE SURVEY WE MADE ABOUT 600 SUCH PAYMENTS WHICH PUT DELAYS IN COMPLETING CASES IN A RATHER DIFFERENT LIGHT, HE SAID.
THE FOLLOJING