Social_Welfare_Annual_Report_1969-1970 — Page 10

detailed plans, as it turned out of no mean order, to provide the essential administrative machinery, structure and procedures for the implementa- tion of the revised scheme. Under the revised scheme, all families or individuals who have resided in the Colony for at least one year will be eligible for assistance in the form of cash grants. The Director of Social Welfare will have discretionary power to meet special needs and to take appropriate action to preserve incentives. An able-bodied adult is not eligible for assistance in any circumstances. Any family whose monthly net income, after deducting rent payments up to a certain maximum, education expenses and essential travelling expenses, is less than $50 per person for the first 3 family members, $40 each for the next 3 family members, and $30 for each succeeding family member, will be eligible for a cash grant to raise their net incomes up to these levels. A single adult living alone whose net income, after deducting allowable expenditure on rent and essential travel, is less than $70 a month will be eligible for a cash grant to raise his net monthly income up to this figure.

11. A new Public Assistance Division has had to be planned, through which field units will be established within the existing District Offices and Family Services Centres. These units will be responsible for dealing with applications, investigations, assessments, authorizations of payments and periodic reviews of need. A new Administrative Division is in the process of being set up which will be responsible for the overall direction and supervision of the payments, inspections and audit sections of public assistance cases. The establishment of the Department will have to be strengthened to cope with the expected substantial increase of cases. As a considerable proportion of families taken on for public assistance will also require other social welfare services, more staff will be required not only to service directly the Public Assistance Scheme but also to cope with casework and counselling.

12. In view of the much expanded organization required for the new arrangements and the increase in staff and the time needed for the recruitment and training of new staff, it will be necessary to proceed by stages. Prior to full implementation of the scheme, interim improve- ments will be introduced before the end of 1970 for the 7,500 families receiving public assistance at present. There will be no immediate change in the eligibility criteria during this period, but assistance will be changed over to cash and be made on the basis of $40 a month for

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