XN000022-1992-10-31 — Page 2

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1992

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NEW SOCIAL SECURITY PACKAGE IN PLACE NEXT JULY

A COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE SCHEME WILL BE

IN IMPLEMENTED

YEAR TO JULY NEXT

PUBLIC REPLACE THE EXISTING

COUNCIL'S APPROVAL OF ASSISTANCE SCHEME, SUBJECT TO THE LEGISLATIVE FUNDS.

SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (SATURDAY) A SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT

THOSE IN NEED WOULD RECEIVE THAT THE NEW SCHEME WOULD ENSURE THAT MORE ASSISTANCE, AS ANNOUNCED BY THE GOVERNOR IN HIS POLICY SPEECH OCTOBER 7.

AT PRESENT, AN ELDERLY PERSON LIVING ALONE MONTH IN BASIC RATE AND OLD AGE SUPPLEMENT.

THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENT WILL LEAD STANDARD RATE OF $1,420 A MONTH.

WHEN OTHER

ON

RECEIVES $1,238 A

ΤΟ HIS ENTITLEMENT OF A

PAYMENTS SUCH AS RENT AND

ARE SPECIAL GRANTS $1,900 A MONTH. THIS IS INCLUDED, HIS TOTAL BENEFIT WILL BE ABOUT MORE THAN ONE-THIRD OF A MANUFACTURING WORKER'S WAGE.

EXISTING CASES SHOW THAT THE AVERAGE PAYMENT FOR A SINGLE PER CENT OF SUCH ELDERLY PERSON IS NOW $1,700 A MONTH AND ABOUT 25 CASES RECEIVE MORE THAN $1,900 A MONTH.

THE NEW RATES PLUS RENT AND OTHER FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR,

ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL GRANTS WILL PROVIDE A MONTHLY INCOME OF $5,510, SAME AS THE AVERAGE MANUFACTURING WORKERS' WAGES.

CENT,

THE TO TAKE ACCOUNT

ΤΟ INCREASES "THERE WILL BE TWO

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS INCREASE OF 15 PER NEXT YEAR. IN ADDITION TO THE REAL PAYMENT RATES WILL ALSO BE REVISED UPWARDS IN APRIL OF INFLATION," THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE

FOR THE ELDERLY OR DISABLED WHO DO NOT MEET THE MEANS-TESTED COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE BENEFITS IN THE FORM

OF THEIR LEVEL SOCIAL SECURITY ALLOWANCE.

ADJUSTED ACCORDING TO INFLATION NEXT APRIL,

||

CRITERIA OF SCHEME, WE OF A NON-MEANS-TESTED BENEFITS WILL ALSO BE HE ADDED.

RECIPIENTS

RULE, ALLOWING WITH EFFECT FROM JULY 1 NEXT YEAR, THE CURRENT

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS 45 DAYS ABSENCE FROM THE TERRITORY FOR

SOCIAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE

BEFORE AND 119 DAYS ABSENCE FOR

ALL OLD BENEFITS ARE SUSPENDED, WILL ALSO BE RELAXED TO 180 DAYS FOR

AS WELL ALLOWANCE

AS

AND ELDERLY AGE ALLOWANCE AND

DAYS FOR OTHER PUBLIC DISABLED PUBLIC ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS AND 60 ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS.

DISABILITY

THE RELAXATION WILL BENEFIT THE ELDERLY WHO WISH TO SPEND TIME WITH THEIR RELATIVES IN CHINA OR ELSEWHERE.

MORE

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