XN000022-1974-12-18 — Page 12

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1974

PROCESSING OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE APPLICATIONS

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STAFF HANDLING APPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE HAVE STANDING INSTRUCTIONS TO PROVIDE FOR EMERGENCY CASH PAYMENTS WHERE THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT FINANCIAL HARDSHIP WOULD OTHERWISE BE SUFFERED.

THE SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, THE HON. LI FOOK-KOW, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT THIS WAS DONE USUALLY ON THE DAY OF APPLICATION, OR WITHIN 48 HOURS. +OVER THE LAST FIVE MONTHS ABOUT 200 SUCH PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE EVERY WEEK.+

MR. LI WAS ANSWERING A QUESTION BY THE HON. MISS KO SIU-WAH ON WHETHER AN ASSURANCE COULD BE GIVEN THAT, IN URGENT CASES, INTERIM CASH GRANTS WOULD BE AWARDED TO MEET IMMEDIATE NEEDS, OR DISCRE- TIONARY POWER AS STATED IN THE SCHEME BE EXERCISED WHENEVER POSSIBLE.

AS FOR DISCRETA IONARY POWERS AVAILABLE TO THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, HE SAID THESE WERE EXERCISED WHENEVER APPROPRIATE.

ACCORDING TO RECENT STATISTICS, 15 PER CENT OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE HOUSEHOLDS WERE SPECIALLY HELPED ON A REGULAR BASIS WITH SUCH EXPENSES AS SCHOOL FEES AND ESSENTIAL TRAVELLING COSTS- AND ABOUT SEVEN PER CENT RECEIVED EXTRA ASSISTANCE TO HELP WITH MEDICALLY APPROVED DIETS.

HE ADDED THAT LUMP SUM PAYMENTS WERE ALSO MADE TO MEET THE COST OF REMOVALS, AND SUCH EXPENSES AS THOSE CONNECTED WITH OFFICIAL DOCUMENTATION AND MEDICAL TREATMENT WHERE THIS WAS NOT FREE OF CHARGE.

REFERRING TO ANOTHER QUESTION FROM MISS KO, SUGGESTING THAT AN APPLICATION FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE BE PROCESSED TWO WEEKS. MR. LI POINTED OUT THAT THE NORMAL TIME REQUIRED TO DO SO WAS THREE WEEKS, ALTHOUGH THIS COULD VARY DEPENDING ON THE COMPLEXITY OF THE CASE.

HE FELT THAT THIS THREE-WEEK PERIOD WAS REASONABLE, PARTICULARLY WHEN A CASH PAYMENT COULD BE MADE WITHIN TWO DAYS IN RESPECT OF THOSE IN URGENT NEED. +1 DO NOT THEREFORE CONSIDER IT PRACTICABLE TO REDUCE THE PERIOD TO TWO WEEKS.+

THERE WERE, AT THE END OF OCTOBER, ABOUT 37,000 PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND 51,000 DISABILITY AND INFIRMITY ALLOWANCE CASES. THESE FIGURES STOOD AT ABOUT 39,600 AND 52,700 RESPECTIVELY AT THE END OF LAST MONTH.

HE SAID THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE HAD ALREADY APPLIED FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF TO COPE WITH THE SITUATION, BUT IT USUALLY TOOK SEVERAL MONTHS TO PROCESS SUCH REQUESTS AND TO RECRUIT THE STAFF. IN THE MEAN TIME, STEPS HAD BEEN TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT THE NORMAL THREE WEEKS WOULD NOT BE EXCEEDED.

+THESE STEPS INCLUDE REDEPLOYMENT OF STAFF FROM OTHER SECTIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT AND SIMPLIFYING THE PROCEDURE TEMPORARILY IN DEALING WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN RECEIVING PUBLIC ASSISTANCE FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS AND WHOSE PREVIOUS REVIEWS HAVE SHOWN NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES.+

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