XN000022-1994-02-02 — Page 21

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1994

COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE SCHEME

THE EXISTING COMPREHENSIVE SOCIAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE SCHEME (CSSA) PROVIDES A STRONG SAFETY NET FOR INDIVIDUALS OR FAMILIES SUFFERING FROM FINANCIAL HARDSHIP FOR REASONS SUCH AS OLD AGE. DISABILITY, ILLNESS, UNEMPLOYMENT AND LOW EARNINGS.

RATE MEDIAN

MONTH.

SCHEME

PERSON

PLEASE

HONOURABLE MEMBERS HAVE ASKED FOR PEGGING OF THE STANDARD FOR A SINGLE PERSON TO 30% OF THE MEDIAN WAGE. THE CURRENT WAGE IS $7,421 PER MONTH AND 30% OF THAT WILL MEAN $2,226 A HONOURABLE MEMBERS WILL WISH TO KNOW THAT BECAUSE OUR CSSA MEETS INDIVIDUAL NEEDS, THE STANDARD RATE FOR A SINGLE REQUIRING CONSTANT ATTENDANCE IS ALREADY $3,055 A MONTH. CONSIDER WHETHER IT IS RIGHT FOR SUCH SINGLE PERSON TO GET A REDUCED AMOUNT. I ASK YOU HONOURABLE MEMBERS, IS THIS RIGHT?

A

SECONDLY, IT IS ALSO A MYTH THAT THE STANDARD RATE IS ALL THAT CSSA CLIENT CAN GET: A CSSA CLIENT COULD GET MUCH MUCH MORE. THIS IS A FACT. INDEED, THIS FACT IS BORNE OUT BY A RECENT PRESS RELEASE OF THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE NO LESS. THE PRESS RELEASE INDICATED THAT A TOTAL AMOUNT OF $2,808 PER MONTH COULD BE RECEIVED BY A SINGLE ELDERLY PERSON "INCLUDING STANDARD RATE OF $1,550, RENT ALLOWANCE OF $1,118, A LONG TERM SUPPLEMENT OF $95 AND SPECIAL ALLOWANCES OF $45 UNDER THE CSSA SCHEME". THIS IS SO BECAUSE OUR CSSA SCHEME IS TAILORED TO THE INDIVIDUAL CLIENT'S PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES,

IT IS CONVENIENT TO FORGET THAT WE NOW PAY OUT BROADLY 24 TYPES OF SPECIAL GRANTS COVERING, FOR EXAMPLE, EXPENSES ON RENT; EXPENSES ON EDUCATION INCLUDING SCHOOL FEES, SCHOOL UNIFORMS, TEXTBOOKS, REFERENCE

BOOKS, STATIONERY, MEALS IN SCHOOLS, AFTER-SCHOOL CARE PROGRAMME; FAMILY RELATED EXPENSES INCLUDING BABY-SITTING CHARGES, FEES FOR NURSERIES AND DAY CRECHES, CHARGES FOR OCCASIONAL CHILD CARE; EXPENSES ON TRAVELLING AND SPECIAL AIDS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES; AND OTHER EXPENSES INCLUDING SPECIAL SURGICAL APPLICANCES, MEDICAL EXPENSES, SPECIAL DIETS, NOT FORGETTING FOR ONE MOMENT, THE TELEPHONE EXPENSES AND IN THE CASE OF PEOPLE WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT, EXPENSES ON FAX MACHINES. WITH SPECIAL GRANTS, THE AVERAGE MONTHLY CSSA PAYMENT TO AN ELDERLY PERSON IS SOME $2,000 PER MONTH, WHICH REPRESENTS 32% OF AN AVERAGE MANUFACTURING WORKER'S WAGE OR 27% OF THE MEDIAN WAGE. LET US NOT FORGET THAT THOSE WITH ADDITIONAL NEEDS ARE GETTING MORE THAN THE AVERAGE. ALSO, A FAMILY OF FOUR IS GETTING SOME $5,900 PER MONTH ON AVERAGE, WHICH IS 93% OF AN AVERAGE MANUFACTURING WORKER'S WAGE, QR 80% OF THE MEDIAN WAGE.

WHO NEED OF; WHILE

OUR SAFETY NET IS DESIGNED IN SUCH A WAY THAT THOSE MORE DUE TO SOCIAL OR PERSONAL FACTORS CAN BE TAKEN CARE THOSE WHO NEED LESS WILL NOT BE GIVEN MORE THAN WHAT THEY REQUIRE. THE STRENGTH OF OUR SAFETY NET IS THAT IT IS SENSITIVE TO NEEDS AND EQUITABLE TO INDIVIDUALS.

INDIVIDUAL

/DISREGARDED EARNINGS