XN000022-1982-12-25 — Page 2

L

1

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1982

MASSIVE INCREASE IN SOCIAL WELFARE EXPENDITURE

****

EXPENDITURE ON SOCIAL WELFARE DURING FISCAL 1981-82 INCREASED

BY 30 PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR TO TOP $1.14 BILLION, ACCORDING TO THE 1982 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.

THE FIGURE INCLUDED RECURRENT SUBVENTIONS TO VOLUNTARY WELFARE AGENCIES, WHICH GREW BY NEARLY 30 PER CENT TO $190 MILLION.

SOCIAL SECURITY IS PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT THROUGH THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME, THE SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE SCHEME, THE CRIMINAL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT INJURIES COMPENSATION SCHEME, THE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE SCHEME AND EMERGENCY RELIEF.

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS FOR THE YEAR TOTALLED $291.29 MILLION, AN INCREASE OF $68.29 MILLION, COVERING 45 752 CASES, MADE UP MOSTLY OF ELDERLY, SICK OR DISABLED PEOPLE OR WIDOWS WITH DEPENDENT CHILDREN.

A TOTAL OF $436.73 MILLION WAS PAID OUT UNDER THE SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE SCHEME WHICH PROVIDES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE SEVERELY DISABLED AND ELDERLY PERSONS AGED 70 AND ABOVE.

UNDER THIS SCHEME, 32 407 NEW APPLICATIONS WERE RECEIVED DURING THE YEAR AND THE NUMBER OF ACTIVE CASES AT THE END OF LAST MARCH WAS 203 517.

THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED 997 APPLICATIONS FOR CASH ASSISTANCE, OR 10 PER CENT MORE THAN IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR, UNDER THE CRIMINAL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT INJURIES COMPENSATION SCHEME, WHICH PROVIDES CASH ASSISTANCE TO INNOCENT VICTIMS (OR THEIR DEPENDENTS) WHO ARE INJURED OR KILLED IN VIOLENT CRIMES OR BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IN THE EXECUTION OF THEIR DUTIES.

COMPENSATIONS PAID OUT TOTALLED $2.2 MILLION, A 45 PER CENT INCREASE OVER FISCAL 1980-81.

THROUGH THE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE SCHEME, 5 187 CASES WERE PAID $24 MILLION, UP BY 32 PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

THIS SCHEME PROVIDES SPEEDY CASH ASSISTANCE TO TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS OR THEIR DEPENDENTS WITHOUT REGARD TO THE MEANS OF THE PERSONS OR TO THE ELEMENT OF FAULT IN THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.

THE DEPARTMENT ALSO PROVIDED EMERGENCY RELIEF SERVICES TO A TOTAL 11 032 FAMILIES INVOLVING 34 147 PEOPLE IN 149 INCIDENTS.

DURING THE YEAR, IT CONDUCTED 15 RESEARCH STUDIES ON A BROAD RANGE OF SOCIAL TOPICS.

/2