TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 1983
4
MORE PEOPLE SEEK HELP FROM TAVA SCHEME
***
THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS FOR TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE (TAVA) LAST YEAR REACHED AN ALL-TIME RECORD OF 7 693.
THIS FIGURE WAS UP BY 2 043 APPLICATIONS OVER 1981 AND BY
2 922 APPLICATIONS OVER 1980.
+THE MAIN REASON COULD WELL BE THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENT CASUALTIES, EXPLAINED MR SIU KING-CHIU, HEAD OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT'S TAVA SECTION.
+BUT IT MIGHT ALSO BE DUE TO THE GROWING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE ASSISTANCE SCHEME, TO THE REDUCTION OF THE SICK LEAVE REQUIREMENT FROM SEVEN DAYS TO THREE AND TO EFFORTS BY SWD STAFF TO CONTACT CASUALTIES OR THEIR RELATIVES,+ HE SAID.
PAYMENTS TO ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS LAST YEAR TOTALLED
$31.8 MILLION.
FROM THE START OF THE SCHEME IN MID-1979 TO THE END OF JANUARY 1983, THE DEPARTMENT HAD PAID OUT NEARLY $80.6 MILLION.
+AT PRESENT, ABOUT 300 APPLICATIONS ARE BEING PROCESSED AND THE APPLICANTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO RECEIVE PAYMENTS SHORTLY, + SAID MR SIU.
THE SCHEME, WHICH REQUIRES NO MEANS TEST, OFFERS QUICK CASH RELIEF FOR TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS OR THEIR DEPENDANTS REGARDLESS OF WHO WAS AT FAULT, PROVIDED THE ACCIDENT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE POLICE.
APPLICATIONS MUST BE MADE WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF THE ACCIDENT AT THE SWD'S TAVA SECTION AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTRE, 14TH FLOOR, 280 GLOUCESTER ROAD, CAUSEWAY BAY. ENQUIRIES CAN BE MADE BY CALLING 5-779421 OR 5-7903650.
15