ENG-1986 — Page 174

142

SOCIAL WELFARE

and development of outreaching social work service, school social work service and residential child care services.

And to speed up the provision of welfare services in new public housing estates, arrangements were made to hand over the fitting-out work of initially 25 welfare premises to the Housing Department. Subsequently, a three-year rolling programme was drawn up to deal with projects in four service areas – day nurseries, children and youth centres, social centres and hostels for the elderly.

The payment of social security benefits having already been computerised, plans were being finalised to computerise the referral system for pre-school disabled children, the social welfare personnel information system, the central register of street sleepers, existing and planned welfare projects and the central waiting list for admission to institutions for the elderly.

During the year, 18 new day nurseries, four homes and hostels for the elderly, eight social and day care centres for the elderly and five children and youth centres were established. The provision of these additional services and the increase in the social security caseload were reflected in increased recurrent expenditure.

The total estimated expenditure on social security and social welfare services, which include Social Welfare Department recurrent expenditure and subventions to voluntary welfare agencies, in the 1986–7 financial year is $2,486.8 million, an increase of more than eight per cent over the previous year's sum.

The Community Chest which organises and co-ordinates fund-raising activities for its member agencies, raised $38.1 million in 1985-6, compared with $30.4 million in 1984–5.

Social Security

Social security schemes are non-contributory and are aimed at meeting the basic main- tenance needs as well as the particular needs of the vulnerable groups in the community who require help because of special circumstances. Such schemes include the Public Assist- ance Scheme, the Special Needs Allowance Scheme, the Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation Scheme, the Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Scheme and Emergency Relief.

The Public Assistance Scheme, which is means-tested, is designed to bring the income of needy individuals and families up to a prescribed level. Eligibility for assistance is governed by four main criteria: length of residence in Hong Kong, the level of income and savings, age, and employment. To benefit, a person must have resided in Hong Kong for at least one year and must prove that he has insufficient income and other resources to meet his basic needs. In cases of genuine hardship, the Director of Social Welfare is empowered to waive the residence requirement. An able-bodied unemployed person aged 15 to 59 is eligible only if he is actively seeking employment and has registered with the Local Employment Service of the Labour Department.

The rates of assistance are reviewed regularly in line with the cost of living. The current monthly basic allowance is $510 for a single person, $370 for each of the first three eligible members of a family, $315 for each of the next three eligible members and $245 for each additional eligible member. In addition to the basic allowance, an old age supplement, a disability supplement and a long term supplement may be given. An old age supplement of $255 per month is payable to those aged 60 and above who are not receiving a special needs allowance or a disability supplement. A disability supplement of $255 per month is given to those who are partially disabled with at least 50 per cent loss of earning capacity and are not in receipt of an old age supplement or a special needs allowance. An annual long-term