XN000022-1997-01-22 — Page 51

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CSSA statistics

Following is a question by the Hon Cheng Yiu-tong and a written reply by the acting Secretary for Health and Welfare, Mrs Doris Ho, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

Will the Government inform this Council of the number of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients who were among the unemployed and low-income categories of CSSA cases in the past three years but who are no longer receiving assistance under the CSSA Scheme, and the respective numbers of these former CSSA recipients who have not applied for CSSA either because their current income exceeds the stipulated income requirement or because of other reasons?

Reply:

Mr President,

The Social Welfare Department does not have information on the number of CSSA cases classified under the categories of "unemployment" and "low earning" who are no longer receiving assistance under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme. According to the records of the Department, about 1,500 'unemployment' cases under the Scheme were closed in 1994, 2,300 in 1995 and 4,000 in 1996 but no statistics are available on the specific reasons for closing these

cases.

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