XN000022-1983-12-29 — Page 5

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1983

THE NEW PAYMENT RATES PER MONTH ARE AS FOLLOWS:

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE

BASIC RATES

FOR A SINGLE PERSON

EXISTING RATE

NEW RATE

$450

$510

LIVING ALONE

FOR A FAMILY:

FIRST THREE ELIGIBLE MEMBERS

$325 EACH

NEXT THREE ELIGIBLE MEMBERS

EACH ADDITIONAL ELIGIBLE MEMBER THERE AFTER

$280 EACH $215

$370 EACH $315 EACH $245

SUPPLEMENTS

EXISTING RATE

NEW RATE

OLD AGE SUPPLEMENT (FOR ANY

$225

$255

RECIPIENT OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AGED 60 AND ABOVE)

DISABILITY SUPPLEMENT (FOR ANY PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RECIPIENT WHO IS PARTIALLY DISABLED)

$225

$255

ANNUAL, LONG-TERM SUPPLEMENT (FOR THOSE IN RECEIPT OF PUBLIC

ASSISTANCE FOR 12 MONTHS OR MORE)

(A) FOR A SINGLE PERSON

(B) FOR A FAMILY

SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCES

OLD AGED ALLOWANCE

DISABILITY ALLOWANCE

$570

$645

$1 140

$1 290

$225

$450

$255

$510

AT THE SAME TIME, THE SAVINGS LIMIT UNDER THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME WILL GO UP BY THE SAME PERCENTAGE. IT WILL BE INCREASED FROM THE $5 700 TO $6 450 FOR A SINGLE PERSON, AND FROM $3 800 TO $4 300 FOR A PERSON IN A FAMILY.

EXPLAINING HOW NEEDY PEOPLE ARE ASSISTED, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT UNDER THE EXISTING RATES, THE BASIC RATE FOR AN ELIGIBLE FOUR-MEMBER FAMILY IS $1 255 A MONTH. WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW RATES, IT WILL BECOME $1 425 A MONTH. INCLUDING RENT, SUPPLEMENTS AND OTHER ESSENTIAL EXPENSES WHICH ARE PROVIDED SEPARATELY, A FOUR-MEMBER HOUSEHOLD ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE CAN RECEIVE UP TO ABOUT $2 540 A MONTH.

AT THE END OF NOVEMBER, THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAD 54 428 PUBLIC ASSISTANCE CASES, 194 831 OLD AGE ALLOWANCE CASES AND 38 673 DISABILITY ALLOWANCE CASES ON ITS BOOKS.

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