3
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1986
SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE PO LEUNG KUK DIRECTORS, MR JACOBS SAID THE TWO ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY IN HONG KONG WERE THE PROVISION OF SOCIAL SECURITY AND DIRECT SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES.
MR JACOBS SAID THE FIRST COMPONENT HAD CHANGED SINCE THE EARLY 1950'S WHEN BASIC RELIEF WAS PROVIDED IN THE FORM OF DRY RATIONS AND COOKED MEALS. NOW SOCIAL SECURITY WAS PROVIDED UNDER THREE BASIC SCHEMES -- PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME, SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCES SCHEME AND ACCIDENT COMPENSATION AND EMERGENCY RELIEF SCHEME.
HE DESCRIBED THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME AS THE MAINSTAY OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM WHICH AIMED TO PROVIDE NEEDY INDIVIDUALS OR FAMILIES WITH A BASIC LEVEL OF ASSISTANCE.
+BY AND LARGE, A TYPICAL RECIPIENT OF ASSISTANCE UNDER THIS SCHEME IS OVER 65 YEARS OF AGE, UNMARRIED AND OUT OF WORK FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER.
+AT PRESENT, OVER 62 000 FAMILIES ARE RECEIVING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE UNDER THIS SCHEME.
+WE SPENT A TOTAL OF $625 MILLION IN 1985-86, REPRESENTING ABOUT 25 PER CENT OF TOTAL EXPENDITURE ON SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES AND THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THIS FUNDAMENTAL AND ESSENTIAL SCHEME IS A VALUABLE SAFETY NET FOR THE COMMUNITY,+ HE SAID.
THE SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCES SCHEME, WHICH WAS NOT MEANS- TESTED, WAS HELPING ABOUT 234 000 PERSONS WHO HAD REACHED THE AGE OF 70 AND WHO HAD LIVED IN HONG KONG FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THEIR APPLICATION.
+THERE HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT TAKE-UP OF THE BENEFITS UNDER THIS SCHEME AND IN FACT ABOUT 86 PER CENT OF THOSE ELIGIBLE ARE NOW DRAWING IT.
+FURTHERMORE, ABOUT 49 000 SEVERELY DISABLED PEOPLE OF ALL AGES ARE PAID DISABILITY ALLOWANCE TO MEET THEIR SPECIAL NEEDS,+ MR JACOBS SAID, ADDING THAT APPROXIMATELY $910 MILLION WAS SPENT ON THE TWO ALLOWANCES IN 1985-86.
HE SAID EXPENDITURE ON THE SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCES NOW EXCEEDED BY A LARGE MARGIN THE EXPENDITURE ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.
+WE DID NOT ANTICIPATE THIS AND THE SITUATION IS UNDER
REVIEW, HE NOTED.
+THE QUESTION THAT MUST BE ASKED IS WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE A MEANS TEST TO ENSURE THAT PAYMENTS ARE MADE TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO NEED THEM MOST.+
/ON ASSISTANCE