XN000022-1983-01-18 — Page 4

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TUESDAY, J.CARY 18, 1983

+AM CERTAIN THAT OUR WORKERS, TO SAY NOTHING OF OUR EMPLOYERS, JUST DON'T WANT TO SEE A QUARTER OF THEIR EARNINGS LOCKED UP IN THE GOVERNMENT'S COFFERS, WHATEVER OUR ACADEMICS MAY THINK IS GOOD FOR THEM, HE SAID.

IN HIS REVIEW OF EXISTING SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS, MR HO POINTED OUT THAT AN AVERAGE FOUR-PERSON HOUSEHOLD CAN NOW RECEIVE SOME $1 800 PER MONTH IN PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, WHICH IS ABOUT THE SAME AS THE AVERAGE INDUSTRIAL WORKER'S WAGE THOUGH THERE IS AN AVERAGE OF 1.9 WORKERS PER HOUSEHOLD.

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WHEN COMPARED WITH THE ORIGINAL RATES IN 1971 THIS SCALE SHOWS AN IMPROVEMENT OF 220 PER CENT, WHILE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX 'A' INCREASED BY 188 PER CENT OVER THE SAME PERIOD. IT REPRESENTS ROUGHLY A 25 PER CENT INCREASE TO REFLECT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE REAL STANDARD OF LIVING AND REGULAR ADJUSTMENTS TO KEEP AHEAD OF PRICE CHANGES.

IN 1981-82. SOME $291.29 MILLION WAS DISBURSED AS PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND THE AMOUNT IS EXPECTED TO TOTAL $404 MILLION IN THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF RESIDENTS DEPENDENT ON SUCH ASSISTANCE IS UNDER 100 000 BUT IF RECIPIENTS OF OLD AGE AND DISABILITY ALLOWANCES WHO ARE NOT ALSO ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE ARE INCLUDED, ABOUT 280 000 RESIDENTS OR 5 PER CENT OF OUR ENTIRE POPULATION ARE BENEFITTING FROM PUBLIC SOCIAL SECURITY.

+AS I STATED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL LAST NOVEMBER THIS ITEM OF PUBLIC EXPENDITURE CANNOT, AND WILL NOT, BE ARTIFICIALLY RESTRAINED ON ACCOUNT OF ANY FINANCIAL STRINGENCY, MR HO STRESSED.

IN ADDITION TO PUBLIC ASSISTANCE THE FOLLOWING SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS ARE AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC:

EMERGENCY RELIEF

*

EMERGENCY RELIEF SERVICE WAS GIVEN TO

11 032 FAMILIES INVOLVING 34 147 PERSONS IN 149 INCIDENTS WHILE PAYMENTS FROM THE EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND TOTALLED $8.76 MILLION

IN 1981-82.

CRIMINAL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT INJURIES COMPENSATION: DURING THE SAME YEAR

956 APPLICATIONS FOR COMPENSATION WERE

CONSIDERED AND AWARDS TOTALLED $2.22 MILLION.

* TRAFFIC ACCIDENT VICTIMS ASSISTANCE, IN

1981-82, THIS SCHEME DEALT WITH 5 586 CASES AND PAYMENTS AMOUNTING TO $24.05 MILLION WERE MADE.

/SPECIAL NEEDS