XN000022-1982-05-31 — Page 2

MONDAY, MAY 31, 1982

SOCIAL SECURITY ALLOWANCES TO GO UP FROM TOMORROW

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PAYMENT RATES FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, OLD AGE AND DISABILITY ALLOWANCES WILL GO UP FROM TOMORROW (TUESDAY) TO HELP RECIPIENTS KEEP ABREAST WITH IMPROVED STANDARDS OF LIVING.

THE 29 PER CENT INCREASE WAS ANNOUNCED IN MID-MARCH BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.

OTHER IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE THE RAISING OF THE SAVINGS LIMIT UNDER THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME TO RECOGNISE THE INCREASE IN PRICES SINCE THE LAST REVISION TWO YEARS AGO.

THE NEW RATES FOR THESE MONTHLY ALLOWANCES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE

FOR A SINGLE PERSON FOR A FAMILY:

$450

FIRST TO THIRD ELIGIBLE MEMBER FOURTH TO SIXTH ELIGIBLE MEMBER

$325

$280

SEVENTH AND ADDITIONAL ELIGIBLE

$215

MEMBER THEREAFTER

OLD AGE SUPPLEMENT (FOR RECIPIENT

AGED 60 AND ABOVE)

$225

DISABILITY SUPPLEMENT (FOR

$225

PARTIALLY DISABLED RECIPIENT)

LONG-TERM SUPPLEMENT (FOR THOSE RECEIVING PUBLIC ASSISTANCE FOR 12 MONTHS OR MORE)

(A) SINGLE PERSON

(B) FAMILY

SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE

$570 (PER YEAR) $1 140 (PER YEAR)

OLD AGE ALLOWANCE

DISABILITY ALLOWANCE

$225 $450

THE SWD NOW HANDLES ABOUT 46 200 PUBLIC ASSISTANCE CASES, 173 000 OLD AGE ALLOWANCE CASES AND 31 900 DISABILITY ALLOWANCE CASES.

+THE INCREASE IS EXPECTED TO COST THE GOVERNMENT AN ADDITIONAL $221 MILLION FOR A FULL YEAR, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID.

THE SAVINGS LIMIT UNDER THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME WILL BE INCREASED FROM THE PRESENT $4 500 TO $5 700 FOR A SINGLE PERSON, AND FROM $3 000 TO $3 800 FOR A PERSON IN A FAMILY,

THE LEVEL OF DISREGARDED EARNINGS, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE AN INCENTIVE TO WORK, IS ALSO TO GO UP BY 70 PER CENT. THIS MEANS THAT THE FIRST $85 AND 50 PER CENT OF THE NEXT $340 WILL BE DISREGARDED, THUS ALLOWING MAXIMUM DISREGARDED EARNINGS OF $225 AS AGAINST THE PRESENT MAXIMUM OF $150 A MONTH.

UNDER THE NEW RATES, AN ELIGIBLE FOUR-MEMBER FAMILY WOULD RECEIVE $1 255 A MONTH, AS AGAINST $965 THEY WOULD GET UNDER THE OLD RATES, WITH RENT. SUPPLEMENTS AND OTHER ESSENTIAL EXPENSES PROVIDED SEPARATELY, A FOUR-MEMBER HOUSEHOLD ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE CAN RECEIVE AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT $1 670 A MONTH.