ENG-1981 — Page 178

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SOCIAL WELFARE

supplement of $175 a month is given to public assistance recipients aged 60 and above, provided that they are not already receiving a special needs allowance. A disability supplement, also of $175 a month, is payable to those public assistance recipients who have been certified as partially disabled, with a 50 per cent or more loss of earning capacity and who are not already in receipt of a special needs allowance or old age supplement. An annual long-term supplement of $880 for a family, and $440 for a single person, is given to those who have been on public assistance for a period of 12 months to meet extra costs for replacement of household ware and durable goods. In addition, supplementary grants for rent, education expenses, special diets and other essential requirements are provided by the scheme.

To encourage self-help, recipients who are not expected to seek work as a condition of receiving public assistance, may retain any marginal earnings up to $150 a month. Any earnings in excess of $250 a month are taken into account in assessing entitlement to public assistance.

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At the end of 1981, the number of active public assistance cases was 46 734 compared with 45 664 in 1980. Expenditure on public assistance for the 1980–1 financial year was $223 million.

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The Special Needs Allowance Scheme provides a cash allowance on top of public assistance to the severely disabled or the elderly aged 70 or more. These allowances are non-means-tested and non-contributory. Any person, regardless of age, who is severely disabled is eligible for a disability allowance, subject to the conditions that he must have lived in Hong Kong continuously for at least a year immediately before claiming the allowance and that he continues to live here. Any person aged 70 or over is eligible for an old age allowance provided that he satisfies the requirement of continuous residence in Hong Kong for at least five years and is continuing to reside here. From July 1, 1981, the disability allowance has been revised to $350 a month and the old age allowance to $175 a month. The number of people drawing disability and old age allowances at the end of the year was 202 692, compared with 183 366 at the end of 1980. Expenditure on payments in the 1980-1 financial year was $306.3 million, an increase of $69.4 million over the previous year.

For those who are affected by natural and other major disasters, emergency relief is provided in the form of hot meals and other basic requirements such as blankets and eating utensils. In addition, injury, burial and death grants from the Emergency Relief Fund are paid to victims or their families in case of need. During the year, assistance was given to 35 805 registered victims. The Social Welfare Department also provided hot meals to Vietnamese refugees staying in Hong Kong temporarily.

The Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation Scheme provides cash relief for people injured and for dependants of those killed in crimes of violence, or through the action of law enforcement officers in the execution of their duties. It is administered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board and the Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation Board; the chairman and members of which are appointed by Governor. The total amount of compensation payments made in 1981 was $2.1 million compared with $1.28 million in the previous year. With effect from March 4, 1981, the minimum qualifying requirement of seven days sick leave has been relaxed to three days subject to the application being made within three years from the date of the incident.

The Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Scheme provides immediate cash assistance to traffic accident victims (or their dependants in the case of death) without regard to the means of the family or to any element of fault in respect of the cause of the accident.