XN000022-1982-03-15 — Page 4

3

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 1982

SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENT RATES TO GO UP FROM JUNE

****

PAYMENT RATES FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND SPECIAL NEED ALLOWANCES WILL BE RAISED BY ABOUT 29 PER CENT FROM JUNE 1 THIS YEAR, THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY (MONDAY).

AT THE SAME TIME, THE IMIT OF DISREGARDED EARNINGS FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS WHO ARE NOT REQUIRED TO REGISTER FOR WORK AS A CONDITION OF RECEIVING ASSISTANCE WILL BE INCREASED BY ABOUT 70 PER CENT.

IN LINE WITH THESE IMPROVEMENTS, THE SAVINGS LIMIT UNDER THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME WILL GO UP BY ABOUT 29 PER CENT TO RECOGNISE THE INCREASE IN PRICES SINCE THE LAST REVISION IN SEPTEMBER, 1980.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THE BASIC SCALE RATES OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE WERE KEPT UNDER REGULAR REVIEW AND THAT THE PRESENT REVISION WAS DESIGNED TO RESTORE THE PURCHASING POWER OF THE BASIC SCALE.

+THIS WILL BE THE EIGHTH INCREASE IN PAYMENT RATES SINCE THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME WAS INTRODUCED IN HONG KONG IN 1971 HE SAID. THE LAST INCREASE WAS MADE IN JULY LAST YEAR WHEN THE BASIC SCALE RATES WERE IMPROVED BY 25 PER CENT IN REAL TERMS.+

+

FOR A FULL YEAR, THE INCREASE IS EXPECTED TO COST AN ADDITIONAL $78 MILLION FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, $39.7 MILLION FOR DISABILITY ALLOWANCE AND $103.4 MILLION FOR OLD AGE ALLOWANCE.

THE NEW PAYMENT RATES PER MONTH ARE AS FOLLOWS :

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE

NEW RATE

EXISTING RATE

FOR A SINGLE PERSON OF HIS OWN

FOR A FAMILY:

$450

($350)

FIRST TO THIRD ELIGIBLE MEMBER

$325

($250)

FOURTH TO SIXTH ELIGIBLE MEMBER

$280

($215)

SEVENTH AND ADDITIONAL ELIGIBLE

MEMBER THEREAFTER

$215

($165)

OLD AGE SUPPLEMENT (FOR ANY PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RECIPIENT AGED 60 AND

ABOVE)

$225

($175)

/DISABILITY SUPPLEMENT