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SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 1987
THE APPEAL BOARD THEREFORE LIAISED CLOSELY WITH THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO ENLIST ITS ASSISTANCE IN ARRANGING MEDICAL BOARDS FOR MEDICAL RE-ASSESSMENT. DURING THE YEAR, 116 DISABILITY ALLOWANCE CASES AND TWO TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE CASES WERE REFERRED TO SUCH BOARDS.
OF THESE 118 APPEALS REFERRED TO THE MEDICAL BOARDS FOR RE-ASSESSMENT, THE BOARDS CONFIRMED THE INITIAL MEDICAL FINDINGS IN 66 CASES AND VARIED THE DECISIONS IN 49 CASES, MR CHIU ADDED. THE REMAINING THREE CASES WERE WITHDRAWN.
THE OTHER APPEALS RECEIVED BY THE SOCIAL SECURITY APPEAL BOARD WERE CONNECTED WITH PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE (TAVA) SCHEME.
NINETY-SEVEN APPEALS WERE HEARD DURING THE YEAR INCLUDING
14 BROUGHT FORWARD FROM THE PRECEDING YEAR.
THE BOARD CONFIRMED THE DECISIONS OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT IN 55 CASES AND VARIED THEM IN 42 CASES.
THE HANDLING OF COMPLAINTS IN CONNECTION WITH SOCIAL SECURITY SERVICES CONTINUES TO BE AN IMPORTANT ROLE OF THE BOARD WHICH COMPRISES FOUR UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS.
THESE COMPLAINTS DID NOT NECESSARILY BECOME APPEALS BECAUSE THE PROBLEMS OF SOME OF THE COMPLAINANTS COULD BE SOLVED AFTER A SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION BY THE STAFF OF THE BOARD OR THROUGH A REVIEW OF THE CASE BY THE DEPARTMENT, THE REPORT SAID.
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DURING THE YEAR, THE BOARD RECEIVED 198 COMPLAINTS, AS AGAINST IN THE PRECEDING YEAR. OF THESE, 94 WERE SETTLED BY THE STAFF OF THE BOARD, SIX WERE REFERRED TO THE APPROPRIATE OFFICES FOR ACTION AND 98 EVENTUALLY BECAME APPEALS,
THE BOARD ALSO MADE SOME SUGGESTIONS AIMED AT IMPROVING SOCIAL SECURITY SERVICES.
IT PROPOSED THAT FOR A CASE OF SELF-WITHDRAWAL WHERE A WRITTEN STATEMENT CANNOT BE OBTAINED FROM THE APPLICANT, THE DEPARTMENT SHOULD TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO SEND A WRITTEN NOTIFICATION TO THE APPLICANT TO CONFIRM THE REASONS FOR CLOSING THE CASE, RATHER THAN RELYING ON VERBAL NOTIFICATION.
IT ALSO PROPOSED THAT THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE SHOULD BE GIVEN A DISCRETIONARY POWER TO ENTERTAIN LATE APPLICATIONS FOR TAVA AFTER THE SIX-MONTH DEADLINE WHERE THERE ARE ACCEPTABLE REASONS FOR THE DELAY, SUCH AS ILLNESS OR DISABILITY.
A DEPARTMENT