MONDAY, MARCH 15, 1982
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DISABILITY SUPPLEMENT (FOR ANY
PARTIALLY DISABLED PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RECIPIENT)
$225
($175)
LONG-TERM SUPPLEMENT PER YEAR
(FOR THOSE RECEIVING PUBLIC ASSISTANCE FOR 12 MONTHS OR
MORE)
(A)
SINGLETON
$570
($440)
$1 140
($880)
(B) FAMILY
SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE
OLD AGE ALLOWANCE
DISABILITY ALLOWANCE
$225
$450
($175)
($350)
REFERRING TO DISREGARDED EARNINGS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT FROM APRIL 1978, TO PROVIDE AN INCENTIVE TO WORK, PART OF THE EARNINGS OF THOSE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS WHO WERE NOT REQUIRED TO REGISTER WITH THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT AS A CONDITION OF RECEIVING ASSISTANCE WAS DISREGARDED.
AT PRESENT, THE FIRST $50 AND 50 PER CENT OF THE NEXT $200 OF EARNINGS ARE DISREGARDED, THUS ALLOWING A MAXIMUM DISREGARDED INCOME OF $150 PER MONTH.
+NEARLY FOUR YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE THE INCENTIVE WAS FIRST INTRODUCED AND IT IS NOW CONSIDERED APPROPRIATE TO REVISE THE LIMIT, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE LIMIT IS TO BE RAISED BY 70 PER CENT. THIS MEANS THAT THE FIRST $85 AND 50 PER CENT OF THE NEXT $340 WILL BE DISREGARDED, THUS ALLOWING MAXIMUM DISREGARDED EARNINGS OF $255 AS AGAINST THE PRESENT MAXIMUM OF $150 PER MONTH.
TURNING TO THE SAVINGS LIMIT UNDER THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT IT WOULD BE INCREASED FROM THE PRESENT $4 500 TO $5 700 FOR A SINGLE PERSON, AND FROM $3 000 TO $3 800 FOR A PERSON IN A FAMILY.
CITING AN EXAMPLE OF HOW NEEDY PEOPLE WERE ASSISTED,
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT UNDER THE EXISTING RATES, AN ELIGIBLE FAMILY OF FOUR WOULD RECEIVE $965 A MONTH. WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW RATES, IT WOULD RECEIVE $1 255 A MONTH. INCLUDING RENT, SUPPLEMENTS AND OTHER ESSENTIAL EXPENSES WHICH ARE PROVIDED SEPARATELY, A FOUR-MEMBER HOUSEHOLD ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE CAN RECEIVE AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT $1 670 PER MONTH.
THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT NOW HANDLES ABOUT 46 000 PUBLIC ASSISTANCE CASES, 172 000 OLD AGE ALLOWANCE CASES AND 31 000 DISABILITY ALLOWANCE CASES.
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