XN000022-1995-11-22 — Page 3

"Safety net" always available to the unemployed

The Secretary for Health and Welfare, Mrs Katherine Fok, reiterated that the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) should not be "hijacked" to a role that it was never perform the role of an unemployment benefit scheme intended to play.

-

Speaking during the motion debate on unemployment assistance scheme at the Legislative Council today (Wednesday), she said as explained many times before, CSSA provided no more than a "safety net" for those unable to support themselves financially.

"Unemployed persons can and do receive CSSA payments, but they do so only if their income is unable to meet their recognised needs and if the value of their assets does not exceed the permitted limit," she said.

Commenting on the Hon Chan Yuen-han's proposal to enable an unemployed person to become eligible for assistance if he or she had savings below $116,000, Mrs Fok queried why an unemployed person with such a level of savings should be allowed to receive public financial assistance in the form of an unemployment assistance payment.

Some of the taxpayers in lower paid jobs contributing to that payment may not even have such a high level of savings themselves, she said.

In addition to that $116,000 of savings, the person concerned may also have a wife and other relatives living with him who may have even higher value assets and savings.

Mrs Fok also asked why a system should be introduced which would treat the unemployed more generously than the elderly, the disabled and the young who would not be eligible for any CSSA support if they had such a high level of savings.

The Hon Frederick Fung proposed to impose a time limit for the period during which unemployment assistance payments could be made.

Mrs Fok, however, pointed out that if such a person had savings, it seemed reasonable to expect part of those savings to be used to meet his daily needs before expecting others in the community, who might well be less well off, to provide him with an income through the taxes they paid.