Social Welfare 195
expenditure in 2007 amounted to $18.12 billion, representing an increase of 2.8 per cent over the previous year.
Elderly people who have received CSSA continuously for at least one year are allowed under the Portable CSSA Scheme to continue receiving assistance in Guangdong or Fujian if they choose to retire there.
Intensified Support for Self-reliance Measures
The SWD continues to provide personalised employment assistance under the Support for Self-reliance Scheme to help able-bodied unemployed CSSA recipients move towards full-time paid employment and become self-reliant.
The SSA Scheme
The non-contributory SSA Scheme provides cash allowances to meet the special needs of the severely disabled or elderly people. It comprises allowances provided under the following headings: Normal Disability Allowance, Higher Disability Allowance, Normal Old Age Allowance and Higher Old Age Allowance. At year-end, 591 654 people were receiving SSA, compared with 580 840 in 2006. The scheme's total expenditure during the year was $6.02 billion, an increase of 11.1 per cent over the previous year.
Accident Compensation Schemes
The Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation Scheme offers financial assistance on a non-means-tested basis to innocent people who are injured or to dependants of people killed in crimes of violence or by law enforcement officers while combating crime. In 2007, $6.63 million was paid out under the scheme, compared to $6.41 million in the previous year. The Traffic Accident Victims. Assistance (TAVA) Scheme provides financial assistance to people injured or to dependants of those killed in road traffic accidents on a non-means-tested basis regardless of who is responsible for the accident. During the year, $162.9 million was paid out under the scheme, compared with $159.5 million in 2006.
Emergency Relief
Emergency relief in the form of meals or cash-in-lieu of meals and other necessities is given to victims of natural and other disasters. Grants from the Emergency Relief Fund are paid to eligible victims or to their dependants in cases of death. Emergency relief was given to 21 victims of 7 disasters during the year.
Social Security Appeal Board
The Social Security Appeal Board considers appeals against SWD's decisions on CSSA, SSA and TAVA issues. The board ruled on 375 appeals during the year.
Prevention of Fraud and Abuse
To preserve the integrity of the social security system and ensure the proper use of public funds, the Special Investigation Section continues to prevent and combat fraud and abuse of social security payment. In addition, a special hotline (2332 0101) is in place to receive reports from the public. As part of the community education programme, anti-fraud information panels displaying prosecution figures and court
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