ENG-2008 — Page 248

192 Social Welfare

The CSSA Scheme

The CSSA Scheme is non-contributory but means-tested. The scheme provides cash assistance to people suffering from financial hardship to enable them to meet basic needs. Applicants must satisfy the stipulated residence requirements. At year- end, there were 284 569 CSSA cases providing assistance to 475 625 people. The scheme's total expenditure in 2008 amounted to $18.57 billion, representing an increase of 2.5 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 allowance to meet the special needs of severely disabled or elderly people. It comprises Normal Disability Allowance, Higher Disability Allowance, Normal Old Age Allowance and Higher Old Age Allowance. At year-end, 608 964 people were receiving SSA. The scheme's total expenditure during the year was $8.28 billion, an increase of 37.5 per cent over the previous year. The Chief Executive also announced in October that the monthly rates for Normal OAA and Higher OAA would be raised across-the-broad to $1,000 with effect from January 2009.

Accident Compensation Schemes

The CLEIC Scheme offers financial assistance on a non-means-tested basis to people (or to their dependants in case of death) who are injured as a result of a crime of violence, or by a law enforcement officer using a weapon in the execution of his duty. In 2008, $4.68 million was paid out under the scheme. The TAVA Scheme provides financial assistance to people injured (or to their dependants in case of death) in road traffic accidents on a non-means-tested basis regardless of who is responsible for the accident. During the year, $171.8 million was paid out under the scheme.

Emergency Relief

Emergency relief in the form of meals or cash-in-lieu of meals and other necessities is given to victims of natural or other disasters. Grants from the Emergency Relief Fund are paid to eligible victims or to their dependants in case of death. Emergency relief was given to 650 victims of 32 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 308 appeals during the year.