XN000022-1978-05-25 — Page 2

THURSDAL, MAT 27,

$244 MILLION PAID OUT LAST FINANCIAL YEAR AS SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS

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THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT PAID OUT NEARLY $244 MILLION DURING THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1977-78 AS NON-CONTRIBUTORY SOCIAL SECURITY CASH BENEFITS TO NEEDY FAMILIES, THE DISABLED AND THE ELDERLY.

A TOTAL OF 225,000 INDIVIDUALS RECEIVED THE BENEFITS, IN THE FORM OF EITHER PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, DISABILITY ALLOWANCE OR OLD AGE ALLOWANCE.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY THE AMOUNT OF PAYMENTS THIS YEAR WAS EXPECTED TO RISE TO $335 MILLION, REPRESENTING AN INCREASE OF 37.2 PER CENT.

LAST MONTH ALONE, HE SAID, $21.1 MILLION WERE PAID OUT, COMPARED WITH $18.5 MILLION IN APRIL LAST YEAR.

TOTAL PAYMENTS IN THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1976-77 AMOUNTED TO $237.3 MILLION, HE ADDED.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE EXPECTED INCREASE IN PAYMENT THIS YEAR WAS DUE TO THE RECENT INCREASE IN PAYMENT RATES AND THE NEWLY- INTRODUCED SOCIAL SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS.

THESE IMPROVEMENTS, HE SAID, PROVIDE NEW BENEFITS AND COVER MORE PEOPLE IN NEED OF WELFARE ASSISTANCE.

THEY INCLUDE THE OLD AGE SUPPLEMENT, THE LONG-TERM SUPPLEMENT AND THE DISREGARDED INCOME PROVISION FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS, AND THE EXTENSION OF THE DISABILITY AND OLD AGE ALLOWANCES SCHEME TO COVER THOSE UNDER INSTITUTIONAL CARE.

+THEIR IMPLEMENTATION WOULD COST AN ESTIMATED $49 MILLION IN THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR, HE SAID.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT OF THE $244 MILLION DISTRIBUTED LAST YEAR, $143.8 MILLION WERE PAID OUT AS PUBLIC ASSISTANCE IN 534,911 PAYMENTS, AND ANOTHER $100,1 MILLION AS DISABILITY AND OLD AGE ALLOWANCES IN 848,888 PAYMENTS.

HE SAID: +AT PRESENT, THE DEPARTMENT'S 26 SOCIAL SECURITY FIELD UNITS ARE HANDLING 48,000 PUBLIC ASSISTANCE CASES, 18,000 DISABILITY ALLOWANCE CASES AND 63,000 OLD AGE ALLOWANCE CASES.

+MOST PEOPLE RECEIVE THEIR DISABILITY AND OLD AGE ALLOWANCES THROUGH BANK AUTOPAY SYSTEM. WHILE THE MAJORITY OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS ARE MADE THROUGH POST OFFICES.

+OTHER PLACES FOR COLLECTION ARE TREASURY OFFICES, DISTRICT OFFICES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND THE SOCIAL SECURITY FIELD UNITS,+ HE ADDED.

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