XN000022-1989-01-11 — Page 20

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1989

18

OLD AGE ALLOWANCE DECLARATION CONSIDERED REASONABLE

FOR

AN

INCOME

AND

ASSET

THE REQUIREMENT APPLICANTS FOR THE OLD AGE ALLOWANCE FOR PEOPLE AGED FROM

ELIGIBLE, WHO WERE NOT PREVIOUSLY

SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

BY

DECLARATION

65 TO 69, THE REASONABLE, HON T.H. CHAU, INFORMED THE

IS

CONSIDERED

JAMES MCGREGOR, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON

WITH WAS

THE CONSISTENT THE THAT EXPLAINED MR CHAU

REQUIREMENT

ΤΟ THOSE GOVERNMENT'S OVERALL WELFARE POLICY OF PROVIDING ASSISTANCE MOST IN NEED.

POINTED OUT THAT

WERE 1987 PROPOSALS IN OCTOBER MR CHAU

TO ANNOUNCED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FOR A PACKAGE OF IMPROVEMENTS

PHASED EXTENSION OF THE MAIN SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEMES, INCLUDING THE THE OLD AGE ALLOWANCE TO PERSONS IN THE 65-69 AGE GROUP.

-

PROPOSED THIS

PACKAGE

WAS

ALL THAT

NEW BE REQUIRED ΤΟ DECLARE HE SPECIFIED LEVELS,

M

'ONE ELEMENT OF APPLICANTS FOR THE OLD AGE ALLOWANCE SHOULD

NOT EXCEED THAT THEIR INCOME AND ASSETS DID SAID.

BY MEMBERS OF THIS

"THESE PROPOSALS WERE GENERALLY WELCOMED COUNCIL AND BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AMONGST OTHERS.'

MR CHAU ADDED THE GOVERNMENT

10

DECIDED HAD

THAT IT WOULD BE DECLARATION FOR NEW APPLICANTS APPROPRIATE NOT TO PROCEED WITH THE AGED OVER 70, WHILST RETAINING IT FOR THOSE BETWEEN 65 AND 69.

DECISION THIS

WAS

AGAINST

THE

MADE FOLLOWING PROPOSED

OF VIEWS CONSIDERATION INCOME AND ASSET DECLARATION, EXPRESSED PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE OVER 70 YEARS OLD, MR CHAU EXPLAINED.

THE FIRST PHASE OF THE EXTENSION OF THE ALLOWANCE TO THE AGE GROUP WAS IMPLEMENTED ON SEPTEMBER 1 LAST YEAR.

65-69

THE

ELIGIBLE FOR THE ALLOWANCE, PERSONS AGED 68 AND 69 WERE NOW SUBJECT TO A DECLARATION THAT THEIR MONTHLY INCOME DID NOT EXCEED LEVELS OF $1,700 FOR A SINGLE PERSON AND $2,800 FOR A MARRIED COUPLE.

THEIR ASSETS LEVELS HAD ALSO BEEN SET AT $100,000 FOR A PERSON AND $150,000 FOR A MARRIED COUPLE.

SINGLE

MR CHAU POINTED OUT THAT WITH EFFECT FROM ELIGIBILITY WOULD BE EXTENDED TO THOSE AGED 67 WHILST FROM APRIL AND 65 WOULD BECOME ELIGIBLE WITH EFFECT RESPECTIVELY.

APRIL 1 THIS YEAR THOSE AGED 66 1990 AND 1991

**THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO PLANS TO DISPENSE WITH THE

DECLARATION

FOR THIS AGE GROUP, HE ADDED.

11

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