XN000022-1987-05-13 — Page 14

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1987

MR CHAMBERS POINTED OUT THAT EVEN COUNTRIES WITH COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL INSURANCE SCHEMES FOUND IT NECESSARY TO HAVE SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT ARRANGEMENTS.

TURNING TO THE FINANCIAL NEEDS OF ELDERLY PEOPLE, MR_CHAMBERS SAID IT CLEARLY VARIED VERY MUCH DEPENDING ON THEIR AGE, THEIR STATE OF HEALTH, OTHER PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE DEGREE OF FAMILY SUPPORT THEY RECEIVED.

+DEPENDENCY ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE TENDS TO INCREASE AS PEOPLE ADVANCE IN AGE, AND SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER THE AGE OF 75. THIS IS CLEARLY BECAUSE ADVANCING AGE BRINGS WITH IT INCREASING FRAILTY AND ALSO BECAUSE ANY SAVINGS ACCUMMULATED DURING WORKING LIFE COULD WELL BE EXHAUSTED BY THIS TIME, HE NOTED.

ON CONSIDERATION OF POSSIBLE WAYS OF MAKING THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM MORE SENSITIVE TO THE PARTICULAR NEEDS OF THE ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THE GREATEST NEED, MR CHAMBERS SAID. ONE POSSIBILITY WAS THAT THERE SHOULD BE DIFFERENTIAL RATES OF OLD AGE ALLOWANCE FOR DIFFERENT AGE-GROUPS, WITH THE OLDER GROUPS, SAY OVER 75, RECEIVING A SOMEWHAT HIGHER ALLOWANCE THAN THOSE BELOW THIS AGE.

A SECOND IDEA WAS A FORM OF CONSTANT ATTENDANCE ALLOWANCE, WHICH COULD BE PART OF EITHER THE NON-MEANS TESTED SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE SCHEME OR AN ADJUNCT TO THE MEANS-TESTED PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SYSTEM.

MR CHAMBERS SAID THIS ALLOWANCE WOULD BE PAYABLE WHEN AN ELDERLY OR HANDICAPPED PERSON NEEDED CONTINUOUS CARE AND ATTENTION- THIS USUALLY MEANT EITHER THAT A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY WHO MIGHT OTHERWISE BE EARNING, HAD TO STAY AT HOME, OR ALTERNATIVELY THAT SOMEONE HAD TO BE PAID TO COME IN THE LOOK AFTER THE INVALID.

+THIS IDEA HAS AN ADDITIONAL ATTRACTION IN THAT NOT ONLY WOULD IT HELP OUR OBJECT OF KEEPING ELDERLY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY AS LONG AS POSSIBLE BUT IT SHOULD ALSO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE ON CARE-AND-ATTENTION HOMES, FOR WHICH THERE IS AT PRESENT A LONG WAITING LIST.

+AS THE TITLE OF 1977 GREEN PAPER ON SOCIAL SECURITY INDICATED, THE MAIN AIM OF ANY SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM IS TO HELP THOSE LEAST ABLE TO HELP THEMSELVES.

*THE OBJECT OF OUR STUDY IS NOT TO DEMONSTRATE THAT A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND IS NOT NECESSARY, BUT TO CONTRIBUTE TO CONSIDERATION OF ALL THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO ENSURE THAT OUR ELDERLY CITIZENS ARE ABLE TO LIVE IN DIGNITY AND REASONABLE COMFORT. WE SHALL PURSUE OUR STUDY WITH THIS AIM IN MIND, MR CHAMBERS SAID.

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