XN000022-1978-09-07 — Page 5

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1978

+WE DEAL WITH PARENTS FIRST AS THEY ARE CONSIDERED THE NUCLEUS OF THE FAMILY AND THE PROBLEMS THEY MAY ENCOUNTER ARE OF SIGNIFICANCE TO THE FAMILY AS A WHOLE, SHE SAID.

FOR EXAMPLE, SHE SAID, MANY PARENTS ARE STILL PUZZLED BY THE VARIOUS PATTERNS OF CHILD REARING, AND THERE ARE ALSO PARENTS WHO ARE ENTIRELY IGNORANT OF THE NEED TO ACQUIRE SOME KNOWLEDGE OF CHILD HANDLING AND ADOLESCENT BEHAVIOUR, AND THIS HAS CREATED FOR THEM A MAJOR PROBLEM.

+OUR ULTIMATE AIM IS TO SEE THAT EACH FAMILY IS MORE CAPABLE OF ENJOYING A STRONGER FAMILY TIE AND HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIP AMONG THE MEMBERS, SHE SAID.

S.W.D. SETS UP HOT LINE+ TO HANDLE OLD AGE ALLOWANCE ENQUIRIES

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THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAS SET UP A +HOT LINE+ AT ITS HEADQUARTERS TO ANSWER PUBLIC ENQUIRIES ON THE OLD AGE ALLOWANCE FOR WHICH THE QUALIFYING AGE WILL BE LOWERED TO 70 WITH EFFECT FROM OCTOBER 1.

THE HOT LINE+, 5-794673, WILL COME INTO OPERATION TOMORROW (FRIDAY) AND THROUGH IT ELIGIBLE OLD PEOPLE MAY APPLY FOR THE ALLOWANCE BY GIVING HIS NAME AND ADDRESS.

THE INFORMATION SO SUPPLIED WILL BE RECORDED AND THE APPLICANT WILL BE CALLED IN DUE COURSE FOR AN INTERVIEW TO VERIFY HIS CLAIM FOR THE ALLOWANCE.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY THE INTRODUCTION OF THE +HOT LINE+ WAS TO HELP PEOPLE BETTER UNDERSTAND THE NEW IMPROVEMENT TO THE SCHEME AND TO FACILITATE THEM IN MAKING APPLICATIONS.

HE SAID SINCE THE EXTENDED PROVISION WAS ANNOUNCED ON AUGUST 31, THERE HAD BEEN LARGE NUMBERS OF APPLICATIONS MADE AT THE DEPARTMENT'S 26 SOCIAL SECURITY FIELD UNITS.

+UP TO YESTERDAY (WEDNESDAY), THERE WERE MORE THAN 11,155 APPLICATIONS, AND WE EXPECT MORE PEOPLE TO COME FORWARD TO APPLY,+ HE SAID.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID IF AN APPLICANT WAS FOR ANY REASONS UNABLE TO ATTEND AN INTERVIEW AT THE DEPARTMENT'S OFFICES, HE COULD INFORM THE DEPARTMENT AND A SOCIAL WORKER WOULD CALL AT HIS HOME TO PROCESS HIS APPLICATION.

+ IN PROCESSING APPLICATIONS, PREFERENCE WILL BE GIVEN TO THOSE MOST IN NEED, THAT IS THOSE ALREADY ON OUR LIST OF 48,000 PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS, HE SAID,

THE OLD AGE ALLOWANCE, WHICH IS $100 A MONTH, IS NON-MEANS TESTED AND IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE OLD PEOPLE WITH SOME DEGREE OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO ENABLE THEIR FAMILIES TO CONTINUE CARING FOR THEM.

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