TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 1975
$136 MILLION CASH AID FOR NEEDY THIS YEAR
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THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT IS TO SPEND $136 MILLION THIS YEAR TO PROVIDE CASH AID FOR THE NEEDY, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR. THOMAS LEE, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).
THIS IS AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 33 PER CENT OVER THE $103 MILLION PAID OUT IN PUBLIC ASSISTANCE LAST YEAR, HE TOLD MEMBERS OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON EAST AT THEIR REGULAR LUNCHEON MEETING.
IN ADDITION TO THIS, THE DEPARTMENT EXPECTS TO PAY OUT ANOTHER $80 MILLION IN DISABILITY AND INFIRMITY ALLOWANCES FROM WHICH OVER 55,000 PEOPLE WILL BENEFIT.
MR. LEE WAS SPEAKING ABOUT THE SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEMES WHICH THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT OPERATES, TOUCHING FIRST ON THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME. HE SAID IT HAS BROUGHT CONSIDERABLE HELP TO THE POOREST MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY BY BRINGING THE INCOME OF AN ELIGIBLE SINGLE PERSON OR A FAMILY UP TO A LEVEL WHERE ESSENTIAL NEEDS SUCH AS FOOD, CLOTHING, FUEL AND POWER CAN BE MET WITHOUT HARDSHIP.
+IN GENERAL, I THINK I CAN FAIRLY CLAIM THAT THE SCHEME HAS WORKED WELL AND, WITHOUT DOUBT, IS CURRENTLY PROVIDING ESSENTIAL HELP FOR A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF POOR, ELDERLY, SICK AND DISABLED PEOPLE, TOGETHER WITH WIDOWS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN, WHO WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES,+ MR. LEE SAID.
+HOWEVER, IT IS TRUE THAT WHAT WE ARE DOING IS NOT TO EVERYONE'S SATISFACTION AND WE ARE AT THE RECEIVING END OF CRITICISM WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS AS WELL-INFORMED OR, INDEED, AS . FAIR AS WE MIGHT REASONABLY EXPECT.+
IN RECENT MONTHS, HE NOTED, THERE HAD BEEN A FAIR AMOUNT OF COMMENTS ABOUT WHAT THE SCHEME SHOULD DO OR NOT DO IN THE PRESENT TIGHT ECONOMIC SITUATION IN WHICH WE FIND OURSELVES. MUCH OF THE CURRENT CRITICISM, HE SAID, WAS CENTRED AROUND THE SCOPE OF THE SCHEME, AND, IN PARTICULAR, IT HAS BEEN ARGUED, THAT IT SHOULD DIRECTLY CATER FOR THE UNEMPLOYED.
+THERE CAN BE A GREAT DEAL OF SYMPATHY FOR THE VIEW THAT THEY SHOULD NOT SUFFER SERIOUS HARDSHIP WHEN THEY ARE UNEMPLOYED, BUT IT IS QUITE ANOTHER THING TO SUGGEST THE SOLUTION MUST INEVITABLY BE TO COVER THE UNEMPLOYED DIRECTLY BY PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.+
HE SAID THE PROBLEM AROSE BECAUSE UNDER THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, THOSE ABLE-BODIED BETWEEN THE AGES OF 15 AND 55 DO NOT QUALIFY FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.
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