XN000022-1977-12-07 — Page 19

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1977

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ADEQUATE MEASURES TO ENSURE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE

GIVEN TO APPLICANT

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THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAS ADOPTED A THREE-TIER SYSTEM OF WORK TO ENSURE THAT THOSE WHO QUALIFY FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE DO NOT HAVE THEIR APPLICATIONS TURNED DOWN.

THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, THE HON. THOMAS LEE, SAID THIS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM REV. THE HON. JOYCE M. BENNETT.

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EXPLAINING THE SYSTEM, MR. LEE SAID WHEN AN APPLICATION WAS RECEIVED IN A SOCIAL SECURITY FIELD UNIT, THE FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE APPLICANT WERE THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED BY A WELFARE ASSISTANT. THE INFORMATION WAS THEN ASSESSED BY A PRINCIPAL WELFARE ASSISTANT TO DETERMINED THE ELIGIBILITY OF ANY AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE TO WHICH THE APPLICANT WAS ENTITLED. THE ASSESSMENT WAS AGAIN CHECKED AND AUTHORISED BY THE SUPERVISOR OF THE FIELD UNIT AT THE RANK OF SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICER.

+THIS THREE-TIER SYSTEM OF WORK IS CONSIDERED NECESSARY AND ADEQUATE TO ENSURE THAT THOSE WHO QUALIFY FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE DO NOT HAVE THE IR APPLICATIONS TURNED DOWN.

+ IF THE APPLICANT IS NOT SATISFIED, HE IS ENCOURAGED TO APPROACH THE SUPERVISOR OF THE FIELD UNIT DIRECT. HE CAN ALSO APPEAL TO ME PERSONALLY, MR. LEE EXPLAINED.

MR. LEE ALSO DREW ATTENTION TO A PROPOSAL IN THE GREEN PAPER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY THAT AN APPEAL BOARD BE ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE AN AVENUE OF APPEAL AGAINST A DECISION TAKEN BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT WITH REGARD BOTH TO ELIGIBILITY AND TO THE AMOUNT PAYABLE.

ANSWERING ANOTHER QUESTION FROM THE HON. T.S. LO EARLIER, MR. LEE ASSURED THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICERS WERE WELL AWARE OF THE NEED TO SHOW COMPASSION AND COURTESY TO ALL CLIENTS.

+ALL OFFICERS, BOTH TRAINED AND UNTRAINED HAVE TO TAKE AN ORIENTATION COURSE WHEN THEY JOIN THE DEPARTMENT AND FOR THOSE WHOSE WORK BRINGS THEM INTO CONTACT WITH THE PUBLIC, THE

INSTRUCTOR ALWAYS STRESSES THE NEED TO SHOW COMPASSION AND COURTESY TO ALL CLIENTS, PARTICULARLY AS MANY OF THOSE WHO SEEK HELP ARE IN DISTRESS OR SUFFERING FROM STRAIN OF ONE SORT OR ANOTHER, HE EMPHASISED.

+THOSE MEMBERS OF MY STAFF WHO HAVE ARDUOUS DUTIES TO PERFORM, PARTICULARLY IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL SECURITY, WHERE MORE THAN 120,000 CASES ARE BEING HANDLED ACTIVELY, ARE ALSO REMINDED BY THE IR SUPERVISORS FROM TIME TO TIME EXHORTING THEM OF THE NEED TO TAMPER FIRMNESS WITH FAIRNESS AND KINDNESS, MR. LEE ADDED.

+ HOWEVER, HE SAID, +IT HAS TO BE REALISED THAT THESE FRONT-LINE WORKERS HAVE AN INVESTIGATIVE FUNCTION TO PERFORM WHICH IS TO PREVENT ABUSE OF THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME WHICH MAY NOT ALWAYS BE CONDUCIVE TO SMOOTH RELATIONSHIPS WITH UNSUCCESSFUL OR DIFFICULT APPLICANTS.+

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