XN000022-1981-03-22 — Page 2

SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 1981

SWD MOBILE TEAMS DELIVER CASH RELIEF

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THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT PAYS OUT MORE THAN $47 MILLION TO SOME 270 000 PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCES RECIPIENTS BY CASH COUPONS OR THROUGH BANKS' AUTOPAY SYSTEMS EACH MONTH.

AND FOR ABOUT 3 700 RECIPIENTS, THE MONTHLY PAYMENTS ARE DELIVERED DIRECTLY INTO THEIR HANDS AT HOME, RESIDENTIAL INSTITUTIONS AND HOSPITALS BY SEVERAL MOBILE TEAMS OF THE DEPARTMENT'S PAYMENTS CONTROL SECTION.

THIS GROUP OF RECIPIENTS ARE THOSE WHO FIND IT DIFFICULT TO GO OUT TO CASH THEIR COUPONS OR DRAW MONEY FROM THE BANK BECAUSE THEY ARE EITHER DISABLED, OLD, INFIRM OR BED-RIDDEN.

FOR ABOUT 20 DAYS EACH MONTH, SEVEN MOBILE PAYMENT STAFF BREAK UP INTO TEAMS AND SET OFF IN THE MORNING WITH PACKETS OF CASH FOR THE IR DAY-LONG JOURNEYS. THEY GO NEAR AND FAR BY CAR, FERRY AND +KAI-TO+ TO SCATTERED URBAN AND RURAL AREAS IN HONG KONG, KOWLOON, THE NEW TERRITORIES AND OUTLYING ISLANDS.

MR WONG KAI-YIU, HEAD OF THE PAYMENTS CONTROL SECTION, SAID TODAY (SUNDAY), +OUR MOBILE TEAMS GO OUT ON DELIVERIES REGARDLESS OF INCLEMENT WEATHER, EXCEPT WHEN TYPHOON NO. 8 SIGNAL IS HOISTED.+

EACH MONTH, THEY DELIVER AN AVERAGE OF $740 000 AS PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, OLD AGE ALLOWANCE AND DISABILITY ALLOWANCE, HE SAID.

HE SAID CASES REQUIRING THE SERVICE OF THE TEAMS WERE REFERRED BY THE DEPARTMENT'S 26 SOCIAL SECURITY FIELD UNITS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG.

THE WORK OF THE MOBILE PAYMENT TEAMS HAS INCREASED CONSIDERABLY IN RECENT YEARS SINCE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE WAS INTRODUCED IN 1971 AND SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCES IN 1973.

MR WONG RECALLED THAT IN JANUARY 1974, THE AMOUNTS DELIVERED BY THE TEAMS WERE JUST OVER $10 000 FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND $8 600 FOR SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCES.

+ IN JANUARY THIS YEAR, THE TEAMS PAID OUT $650 000 IN PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND NEARLY $100 000 IN OLD AGE ALLOWANCE AND DISABILITY ALLOWANCE, HE SAID.

APART FROM THE MOBILE PAYMENT SERVICE, THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT'S PAYMENTS CONTROL SECTION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DELIVERY OF CASH COUPONS BY POST TO PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS, AND ARRANGING SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCES PAYMENTS THROUGH BANKS' AUTOPAY SYSTEM.

CASH PAYMENTS ARE ALSO COLLECTED AT THE SECTION BY VICTIMS OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS AND CRIMES OF VIOLENCE.

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