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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1980
FORTY SOCIAL SECURITY APPEALS LODGED IN 1979-80
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THE INDEPENDENT SOCIAL SECURITY APPEAL BOARD RECEIVED 40 APPEALS IN 1979-80 AGAINST DECISIONS MADE BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT ON SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS.
IN THE SAME PERIOD, THE BOARD CONDUCTED HEARINGS FOR 33 APPEALS, MOST OF WHICH INVOLVED PUBLIC ASSISTANCE,
IT GAVE SUBSTITUTES FOR THE DEPARTMENT'S DECISIONS IN 18 CASES AND CONFIRMED ITS DECISIONS IN THE OTHER 15.
THE APPEAL BOARD WAS SET UP IN 1978 TO PROVIDE A SPEEDY MEANS OF REDRESS FOR PEOPLE NOT SATISFIED WITH THE DEPARTMENT'S DECISIONS ON APPLICATION OR PAYMENT OF SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS.
THE BOARD, WITH SECRETARIAT SUPPORT BY THE DEPARTMENT, IS MADE UP OF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR.
IN HER SECOND ANNUAL REPORT RECENTLY PUBLISHED, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, MRS MAXINE KWOK, SAID 26 OF THE APPEALS RECEIVED INVOLVED PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, NINE SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCES AND FIVE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE.
SHE SAID THAT BEFORE HEARING THE APPEALS, THE BOARD VISITED MOST OF THE APPELLANTS AT HOME, PARTICULARLY WHERE THE APPEALS CONCERNED PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.
THIS IS TO OBTAIN FIRST-HAND INFORMATION AND BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE APPELLANTS' BACKGROUND, LIVING CONDITIONS AND DIFFICULTIES BEFORE DECISIONS ARE TAKEN ON INDIVIDUAL MERITS, SHE EXPLAINED.
OF THE 33 HEARINGS, SHE SAID. 18 WERE HELD AT THE APPELLANTS' HOME, ONE AT THE HOSPITAL WHERE THE APPELLANT STAYED, AND 14 AT THE OFFICE OF THE BOARD.
MRS KWOK SAID THE BOARD ALSO MADE OBSERVATIONS AND MONITORED THE DEVELOPMENT OF APPEAL CASES, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN WHICH IT HAD GIVEN SUBSTITUTES FOR THE DEPARTMENT'S DECISIONS.
SHE SAID THE BOARD WAS PLEASED TO LEARN THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAD RESPONDED FAVOURABLY TO MOST OF ITS OBSERVATIONS AND HAD LAID DOWN NEW RULINGS TO IMPROVE THE OPERATION OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEMES.
SOCIAL SECURITY APPEALS SHOULD BE LODGED WITHIN FOUR WEEKS OF NOTIFICATION OF A DECISION BY THE DEPARTMENT, AND WOULD BE HEARD NORMALLY WITHIN 21 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THEIR BEING RECEIVED.
HEARINGS ARE CONDUCTED IN A LANGUAGE CONVENIENT TO THE APPELLANT, AND LEGAL REPRESENTATION IS NOT NECESSARY.
SIMPLE APPEAL FORMS CAN BE OBTAINED AT THE APPEAL BOARD'S
OFFICE IN INTERNATIONAL BUILDING, 18TH FLOOR, DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL (TEL. NO. 5-445585), OR AT THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT
HEADQUARTERS AND ITS SOCIAL SECURITY FIELD UNITS AND TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE SECTION.
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