(or old age)
disability and infirmity allowance scheme, should receive an
old age supplement of an amount equal to the infirmity (old ape)
allowance (currently $90 a month).
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21.
Age of retirement. It is proposed to bring the age
of retirement in the public assistance scheme into line with
the proposed old age supplement by increasing it from 55 to 60.
Retirement at 55 does not reflect general practice in Hong
Kong where, according to the 1976 By-Census, 75% of men aged
55 - 64 were working. The effect will be to require those
aged between 55 and 60 to register with the Employment Service
as a condition of receiving assistance. The Director of Social
Welfare however, would have discretion not to require a person
aged over 55 to register, so that where it appeared unreasonable
(because of a person's general health) to insist on registration.
this requirement could be waived. The effect of this proposal
has already been allowed for in the costings in this memorandum.
If not implemented, other costs e.g. for supplementary
allowances would be slightly higher.
22.
No further changes in public assistance.
Honourable
Members will wish to know that the following points have been
considered but no recommendations are made for change.
a) Scale of allowances. The Council has previously
agreed that the scale of allowances should be kept
under regular review, and increased from time to
time in line with the cost of living to maintain
its purchasing power, without further reference
to Council. For this purpose, a special fublic
Assistance Index (the weightings in the dex
wwe recently revised to make it more ef
is used. The scale of allowances was last
increased in June 1974, when a further rise in the cost of living was assumed and allowed
for in calculating the increase.
In fact,
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.