XN000022-1992-07-15 — Page 18

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 1992

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PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME TO BE REVIEWED

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THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME HAS EVOLVED FROM A SCHEME WHICH PROVIDED FOR BASIC SUSTENANCE TO ONE WHICH IS CAPABLE OF MEETING THE BASIC AND SPECIAL NEEDS OF RECIPIENTS, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MRS ELIZABETH WONG, SAID.

SHE SAID THE SCHEME HAD BEEN DEVELOPED AND REFINED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE YEARS, AND WAS SO DESIGNED THAT INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS COULD BE REVIEWED AND NEW COMPONENTS INTRODUCED.

"INDEED, IN THE CONTEXT OF THE WHITE PAPER ON SOCIAL WELFARE INTO THE 1990S AND BEYOND, IT WAS RE-EXAMINED AS RECENTLY AS LAST YEAR, FOLLOWED BY AN IMMEDIATE INTRODUCTION OF THE CHILD SUPPLEMENT FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS," MRS WONG SAID.

"WE BELIEVE THAT THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME SHOULD BE LOOKED AT AGAIN IN RELATION TO THE FORTHCOMING REVIEW OF THE POLICY ON CARE FOR THE ELDERLY AND IN THE CONTEXT ALSO OF ANY PROPOSAL EMERGING GOVERNMENT'S STUDY ON COMPULSORY RETIREMENT PROTECTION SCHEMES.

FROM

MRS WONG WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON GILBERT LEUNG AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SHE TOLD THE COUNCILLORS THAT PUBLIC ASSISTANCE CLIENTS HAD PROGRESSIVELY BEEN GETTING HIGHER ALLOWANCES OVER THE YEARS, IN ADDITION TO ADJUSTMENT FOR INFLATION, TO ENABLE THEM TO BENEFIT FROM SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CHANGES IN HONG KONG,

AT PRESENT A SINGLE ELDERLY PERSON AGED 60 AND ABOVE WOULD GET A MAXIMUM MONTHLY CASH ASSISTANCE OF $3,680 WHEN THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME FOR A SINGLE ELDERLY PERSON IS $5,340 A MONTH.

THE SAME PERSON IN 1976 WOULD HAVE GOT A MAXIMUM CASH ASSISTANCE OF $390 WHEN THE THEN MEDIAN MONTHLY HOUSEHOLD INCOME FOR A SINGLE ELDERLY PERSON WAS $710.

THE COMPONENTS OF THE SCHEME INCLUDE A BASIC RATE, A RENT ALLOWANCE, A LONG-TERM SUPPLEMENT, AN OLD AGE SUPPLEMENT, A DISABILITY SUPPLEMENT AND OTHER SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS AND GRANTS AS WELL AS REIMBURSEMENT FOR DENTURES, SPECTACLES AND WALKING AIDS.

ADDITIONALLY, ALL MEDICAL CARE IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS AND CLINICS

ARE FREE.

MRS WONG SAID OF THE ESTIMATED 766,000 PEOPLE AGED 60 OR OVER IN HONG KONG, 74,000 WERE SINGLE PERSONS LIVING ALONE.

OF THESE 74,000 PERSONS, 33,000 ARE ON PUBLIC ANOTHER 12,000 ARE IN RESIDENTIAL HOMES OR INFIRMARIES.

ASSISTANCE AND

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