XN000022-1980-07-10 — Page 2

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THURSDAY, JULY 10, 1980

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL SECURITY AND WELFARE SERVICES

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PUBLIC ASSISTANCE LOOKS AFTER BASIC LIVING WHILE SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCES HELP MEET EXTRA NEEDS ARISING OUT OF OLD AGE OR DISABILITY, NO MATTER HOW THE BENEFICIARY IS CARED FOR BY HIS FAMILY OR IN AN INSTITUTION.

THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MR THOMAS LEE, SAID THIS TODAY (THURSDAY) WHEN HE SPOKE ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL SECURITY AND WELFARE SERVICES AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE LIONS CLUB OF TAI PING SHAN.

MR LEE SAID THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN CRITICISED LATELY FOR BEING INCONSIDERATE AND UNFAIR TO THE ELDERLY IN INSTITUTIONAL CARE FOLLOWING PROPOSALS TO ADJUST FEES CHARGED IN OLD PEOPLE'S HOMES.

HE DESCRIBED THE CRITICISMS AS UNFOUNDED AND ATTRIBUTED THEM TO MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME AND THE SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCES SCHEME.

HE POINTED OUT THAT ALL ALONG, IN LINE WITH GOVERNMENT POLICY, FEES HAD BEEN SET AT LEVELS WITHIN THE MEANS OF THE SERVICE-USERS, MOST OF WHOM WERE RECEIVING SOCIAL SECURITY CASH BENEFITS.

HE SAID IF FEES WERE NOT ADJUSTED IN STEP WITH INFLATION AND INCREASES IN SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS, PEOPLE_IN INSTITUTIONAL CARE WOULD BECOME PROGRESSIVELY BETTER OFF THAN THOSE WHO HAD TO BE LOOKED AFTER BY THEIR FAMILY AT HOME.

+THIS WOULD FRUSTRATE THE GOVERNMENT'S OBJECTIVE OF ENCOURAGING CARE IN THE COMMUNITY',+ HE EXPLAINED.

MR LEE SAID IT WAS COMMONLY ACCEPTED THAT FEE CHARGING WAS SOCIALLY DESIRABLE AND COULD NOT ONLY ACHIEVE A BETTER DISTRIBUTION OF SCARCE RESOURCES BUT ALSO ENABLE THE SERVICE- USER TO MAINTAIN HIS DIGNITY BY MAKING HIM FEEL HE WAS NOT RECEIVING CHARITY.

AS A CUSTOMER, HE CAN THEREFORE EXPECT THE SERVICE TO BE PROVIDED AT A CERTAIN STANDARD, WHILE ON THE OTHER HAND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES CAN RAISE REVENUE TO HELP MEET RECURRENT EXPENDITURE BY CHARGING FEES WHICH ARE MAINLY PAID FOR BY SOCIAL SECURITY, HE SAID.

THE VOLUNTARY WELFARE SECTOR HAS AGREED TO THE POLICY OF FEE CHARGING, WHICH WAS REAFFIRMED IN THE 1979 POLICY WHITE PAPER ON SOCIAL WELFARE, HE SAID.

EXPLAINING THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCES SCHEMES AND THE ROLE THEY PLAY IN HELPING THE BENEFICIARIES TO MEET FEES CHARGED FOR INSTITUTIONAL CARE, MR LEE SAID PUBLIC ASSISTANCE IS SPECIFICALLY MEANT TO MEET BASIC LIVING.

/+IT HELPS