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WALAN EDIAI, MARUN S0, 1903
FOR PEOPLE BELOW 15 OR ABOVE 60 YEARS OF AGE, IT IS NORMALLY CONSIDERED THAT THEY SHOULD NOT OR ARE NOT FIT TO WORK. IF THEY ARE NOT ENGAGED IN GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT OR THE IR INCOME IS BELOW THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE LEVEL, THEY ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR ASSISTANCE.
PEOPLE BETWEEN 15 AND 59 YEARS OF AGE, CAN APPLY FOR PUBLIC SSISTANCE IF THEY HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL, RECEIVE VOCATIONAL RAINING, OR STAY AT HOME TO LOOK AFTER YOUNG CHILDREN OR SICK OR DISABLED FAMILY MEMBERS.
THEY ARE ALSO ELIGIBLE IF THEY ARE CERTIFIED BY A GOVERNMENT DOCTOR TO BE UNABLE TO WORK BECAUSE OF ILLNESS.
THOSE WHO ARE UNEMPLOYED BUT WILLING TO WORK WILL BE
ELIGIBLE FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE IF THEY HAVE BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT FOR ONE MONTH AFTER DATE OF APPLICATION.
THOSE WHO ARE EMPLOYED BUT WHOSE INCOMES FALL BELOW THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE LEVEL CAN ALSO APPLY.
THE SAVINGS LIMIT UNDER THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME IS $5 700 FOR A SINGLE PERSON AND $3 800 FOR A PERSON IN A FAMILY.
+ IN OTHER WORDS, MRS LEE SAID, +A FOUR-MEMBER FAMILY WITH SAVINGS OF LESS THAN $15 200 WILL STILL QUALIFY FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE IF THEY HAVE INSUFFICIENT INCOME.+
APART FROM THE BASIC SCALE ALLOWANCE AND THE RENT SUBSIDY, OTHER DISCRETIONARY PAYMENTS ARE AVAILABLE TO MEET SPECIAL NEEDS SUCH AS SPECIAL DIETS, EDUCATION AND TRANSPORT.
+SOME PEOPLE HAVE CALLED PUBLIC ASSISTANCE CHARITY,+ MRS LEE SAID. +THIS IS NOT VERY APPROPRIATE BECAUSE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE IS NOT CHARITY BUT IS ONE OF THE COMMUNITY'S RESPONSIBILITIES TO ITS MEMBERS, +
WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE ARE RECEIVING PUBLIC ASSISTANCE? AN ANALYSIS OF THE 50 456 ACTIVE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE CASES AT THE END OF JANUARY SHOWS:
ELDERLY DISABLED SICK
WIDOWS AND ORPHANS
UNEMPLOYED AND LOW EARNING OTHERS
33 381
3 213
6 914
2 357
2 508
2 083
IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY, TOTAL PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS AMOUNTED TO SOME $36 MILLION. THIS MEANS ON AVERAGE EACH CASE RECEIVES ABOUT $770,+ MRS LEE SAID.
WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT'S SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM, ALL ASSISTANCE SCHEMES APART FROM PUBLIC ASSISTANCE ARE NON-MEANS-TESTED. THESE INCLUDE THE SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE SCHEME, THE CRIMINAL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT INJURIES COMPENSATION SCHEME, THE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE SCHEME AND EMERGENCY RELIEF.
REFERRING TO THE SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE, MRS LEE SAID THAT THIS COMPRISES THE OLD AGE ALLOWANCE AND THE DISABILITY ALLOWANCE. AS AT THE END OF JANUARY, THE CASELOAD FOR SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE WAS 219 607 AND PAYMENTS FOR THAT MONTH AMOUNTED TO $55 MILLION.
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