XN000022-1973-02-01 — Page 7

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Thursday, February 1, 1973

Implementation of the scheme after approval last night by the Finance

Committee of the Legislative Council marks a major step forward in the progress

towards a social security system tailored to meet Hong Kong's own needs.

While the scheme adopts some of the features of social security

schemes elsewhere, it is, in effect, a "home-grown" product, with no exact

equivalent.

It implements another major proposal in the draft white paper on

social welfare development in Hong Kong, and the decision not to have a means

test is a direct and positive response to the wishes of the community.

In his address to the Legislative Council on October 18, 1972, the

Governor, Sir Murray MacLehose, asked for views on whether the allowances

should be paid without a means test.

The answer, in the Legislative Council, in the press, and from the

community at large in letters to the Social Welfare Department, was unanimously

in favour of no means test.

Three Examples

If he is

An illustration of what the severe disability allowance means is the example of a blind person. receiving $135 a month from public assistance $110 plus $25 for rent he will get another $110 a month for his severe disability, bringing his monthly income up from April 1 from $135 to $245.

A second illustration relates to a person who has lost, say, two legs, but can still work from a wheelchair and is earning $200 a month. The earnings exclude him from public assistance, but not from the new scheme, so that his income from April 1 will be $200 plus $110, a total of $310.

A widow of 76 in poor health, but not severely disabled, living with her son and his family is not eligible for public assistance because her son's income is above the public assistance level. But under the new scheme, she will get $55 a month as an infirmity allowance.

It is