TNAG-0876-FCO40-1086-Development-of-social-welfare-policy-in-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 210

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CONFIDENTIAL **

3.3

13

Whilst the overall public assistance framework remains

appropriate, the review identified a number of areas requiring

improvements. Accordingly various proposals were made in the Green

Paper on Social Security Development which was published in late

1977. As these proposals drew generally favourable response and in

order that help may be available quickly to those in need, the

following improvements were introduced in April 1978:

(i)

a long term supplement of $500 for a family

and $250 for a single person is now payable

annually to all those who continue to receive

Public Assistance after a period of 12 months.

This enables needy families to purchase household

replacements and to meet similar expenses which

have to be faced over a long period of time.

The introduction of this long term supplement

replaces the previous practice of approving periodic

discretionary grants which by their very nature

could not be applied consistently.

(ii)

to meet the additional expenses of looking after

an elderly family member, an Old Age Supplement of

half the basic Public Assistance rate for a single

person is now added to the basic scale of allowances

for any Public Assistance recipient aged 60 and

over who is not receiving a Disability or Old Age

This supplement is paid in addition to

Allowance.

the long term supplement and should lessen whe

financial burden of families who have elderly

CONFIDENTIAL

機密

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