XN000022-1991-03-08 — Page 17

FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 1991

16

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCES REVISED

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PUBLIC ASSISTANCE (PA) AND SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCES (SNA) WILL BE INCREASED BY NINE PER CENT FROM NEXT MONTH (APRIL), A SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

THE REVISION OF THE BASIC RATES OF PA AND SNA, WHICH WOULD RESULT IN AN ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL AMOUNT IN PAYMENTS OF $282 MILLION, WAS APPROVED BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE THIS AFTERNOON.

"THE ADJUSTMENT OF PA AND SNA PAYMENTS IS IN LINE WITH THE INFLATION RATE SO AS TO MAINTAIN THE PURCHASING POWER OP THE CASH PAYMENT," THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

"IN ADDITION TO THE BASIC RATE OF $745, AN ELDERLY PERSON ON PA IS ALSO ENTITLED TO A $425 OLD AGE ALLOWANCE IF HE IS AGED 70 OR OVER, OR 9373 IF HIS AGE FALLS BELOW 70.

OF

"SHOULD HE NEED TO PAY THE COST OF ACCOMMODATION, A MAXIMUM $488 IN RENT ALLOWANCE WILL BE PAID ΤΟ ASSIST HIM," THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

HE FURTHER NOTED THAT THE ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURE ESTIMATED IN 1991-92 ARISEN FROM THE REVISION WOULD BE $89.1 MILLION FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME, $137.8 MILLION FOR OLD AGE ALLOWANCE AND $54.9 MILLION FOR DISABILITY ALLOWANCE RESPECTIVELY.

DETAILS OF THE NEW RATE ARE AS FOLLOWS:

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE

REVISED AMOUNT

(PER MONTH)

SINGLE PERSON

745

FAMILY:

1ST MEMBER

2ND MEMBER

3RD MEMBER

560

560

550

4TH MEMBER

550

5TH AND EACH ADDITIONAL MEMBER

540

OLD AGE SUPPLEMENT

*

FOR A PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RECIPIENT WHO IS AGED 60-69 AND IS NOT IN RECEIPT OF A SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE

FOR A PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RECIPIENT WHO IS AGED 70 OR OVER AND IS NOT IN RECEIPT OF A SPECIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE

373

425

/DISABILITY SUPPLEMENT