XN000022-1990-10-02 — Page 11

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1990

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COMMENT ON PRESS REPORT CONCERNING WELFARE ASSISTANTS

COMMENTING ON A PRESS REPORT TODAY (TUESDAY) ON A DECISION MADE BY THE WELFARE ASSISTANT'S BRANCH OF HONG KONG CHINESE CIVIL SERVANTS ASSOCIATION IN RELATION TO MANPOWER FOR ADDITIONAL WORK, A SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE MANAGEMENT HAS RECEIVED A REPORT FROM THE FINANCE BRANCH ON REVISED MANNING SCALE.

THE DEPARTMENT IS DISCUSSING THE DRAFT REPORT WITH THE FINANCE BRANCH WITH A VIEW TO PRODUCING A REVISED DRAFT REPORT. WHEN THIS SECOND DRAFT REPORT IS READY, THE STAFF ASSOCIATION WILL BE CONSULTED BEFORE THE REPORT IS FINALISED FOR IMPLEMENTATION.

ON ADDITIONAL WORK, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THIS HAS RESULTED FROM THE LOWERING OF THE QUALIFYING AGE FOR OLD AGE ALLOWANCE FROM 70 TO 66 AND THE INTRODUCTION OF HIGHER DISABILITY ALLOWANCE IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, AS WELL AS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TRAICES MATCHING RECENTLY.

TRAICES MATCHING IS TO DETECT THROUGH COMPUTER RECORDS ANY ABSENCE OF OLD AGE ALLOWANCE RECIPIENTS FROM HONG KONG AND TO IDENTIFY CASES WHO HAVE BEEN OVER-PAID AS A RESULT OF BEING AWAY FROM THE TERRITORY FOR OVER 90 DAYS IN ONE YEAR.

"A SERIES OF MEASURES TO SIMPLIFY PROCEDURES HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED IN THE PAST TWO YEARS TO ACHIEVE STAFF SAVINGS TO COPE WITH THE ADDITIONAL WORK, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

"THESE INCLUDED EXTENSION OF PAYMENT OF OLD AGE ALLOWANCE WITHOUT CASE REVIEWS AND RELAXING THE REVIEW CYCLES FOR CERTAIN CATEGORIES OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE CASES SUCH AS STABLE CASES, SINGLETONS AND SIMPLE FAMILY CASES.

++

THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT OF THE TOTAL OLD AGE ALLOWANCE RECIPIENTS, 200,000 HAD THE RECORD OF HAVING BEEN AWAY FROM THE TERRITORY. OF THESE, ABOUT 16,000 RECIPIENTS WERE BELIEVED BEEN AWAY FOR OVER 90 DAYS IN ONE YEAR.

ΤΟ HAVE

RECIPIENTS

"THE MANAGEMENT ESTIMATED THAT HALF OF THE 16,000 ARE STILL AWAY FROM HONG KONG. FOR THE REMAINING 8,000 THE PROCEDURES TO REVIEW THEIR ELIGIBILITY WOULD BE AFFECTED," HE SAID.

"THE DEPARTMENT HAS A STRENGTH OF 400 WELFARE ASSISTANTS. WE ESTIMATE EACH WELFARE ASSISTANT WOULD HANDLE AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 40 CASES OVER A PERIOD OF THREE MONTHS, HE ADDED.

IT

UP TO END OF AUGUST, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF WELFARE ASSISTANT GRADE OFFICERS IN THE DEPARTMENT'S SOCIAL SECURITY BRANCH WAS 655

THE STRENGTH WAS 651.

AND

"WHILE HOPING THAT THE WELFARE ASSISTANTS WOULD PUT THE INTEREST OF OUR SENIOR CITIZENS IN THE FIRST PLACE, THE MANAGEMENT WILL MAINTAIN DIALOGUE WITH THE WELFARE ASSISTANT'S BRANCH OF THE KONG CHINESE CIVIL SERVANTS ASSOCIATION WITH A VIEW ΤΟ

SOLVING

HONG

THE

ISSUE,

tr

THE SPOKESMAN CONCLUDED.

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