WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1982
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$370M TO BE SPENT ON HELPING NEEDY
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AN ESTIMATED $370 MILLION IS EXPECTED TO BE SPENT THIS YEAR ON THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT EVERY FAMILY IN HONG KONG LIVES ABOVE A PRESCRIBED LEVEL, THE ACTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR STEPHEN LAW, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE LIONS CLUB OF BAYVIEW AT THE MANDARIN HOTEL, MR LAW SAID THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME HAS NOW BEEN IMPLEMENTED FOR MORE THAN TEN YEARS. WE INTEND TO KEEP IT SIMPLE, AND THE AIM IS TO ENSURE A REASONABLE STANDARD OF LIVING FOR EVERYONE. IT IS OUR HOPE THAT THOSE ELIGIBLE WILL RECEIVE THE ASSISTANCE TO WHICH THEY ARE ENTITLED, +
HE SAID IT WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE TO REGARD, AS SOME PEOPLE DID, PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AS +RELIEF+. PUBLIC ASSISTANCE IS A RESPONSIBILITY OF SOCIETY TOWARDS THE INDIVIDUAL, AND A NEEDY PERSON HAS THE RIGHT TO SEEK ASSISTANCE.
APART FROM THE INCOME CRITERIA, AN APPLICANT MUST MEET THE LIMITS OF SAVINGS AND OTHER CAPITAL ASSETS UNDER THE SCHEME, MR LAW SAID. THE PRESENT LIMIT IS $5 700 FOR A SINGLE PERSON AND $3 800 FOR A MEMBER IN A FAMILY,
*IN OTHER WORDS, HE SAID, A FOUR-MEMBER FAMILY IS STILL ELIGIBLE FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE IF IT HAS SAVINGS AMOUNTING TO LESS THAN $15 200 BUT EARNS A MEAGRE INCOME.+
MR LAW SAID THAT THE BASIC SCALE RATE OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE HAD BEEN REVISED EIGHT TIMES IN THE PAST 10 YEARS TO MEET THE RISE IN PRICES, AND IN JULY LAST YEAR, ITS REAL VALUE WAS IMPROVED BY 25 PER CENT.
APART FROM THE BASIC RATE OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, THERE ARE RENT AND OTHER SUPPLEMENTS.
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UNDER THE SCHEME, A FOUR-MEMBER FAMILY WOULD RECEIVE ASSISTANCE AMOUNTING TO ABOUT $2 000 A MONTH, COMPRISING $1 255 IN BASIC ALLOWANCE, THE HIGHEST RENT ALLOWANCE OF $479, $95 IN LONG-TERM SUPPLEMENT AND $255 IN OLD AGE SUPPLEMENT.
MR LAW SAID THAT NOT EVERY FAMILY WOULD OF COURSE RECEIVE THE SAME LEVEL OF ASSISTANCE AS THIS WOULD DEPEND ON INCOME, ACTUAL RENT PAID AND OTHER FACTORS.
MR LAW SAID IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE WHETHER $2 000 WAS ENOUGH FOR A FOUR-MEMBER FAMILY, BUT ONE MIGHT MAKE A COMPARISON WITH THE EARNINGS OF AN AVERAGE WORKER.
RECENT STATISTICS INDICATE THAT THE AVERAGE MONTHLY WAGE OF AN INDUSTRIAL WORKER IS ABOUT $1 815.
+JUDGING FROM THIS, THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE LEVEL SHOULD BE ABOUT RIGHT, MR LAW SAID.
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