ENG-2009 — Page 255

Social Welfare 195

Employment Assistance Programmes

The SWD provides personalised employment assistance through various programmes to help able-bodied unemployed CSSA recipients and single parents move towards paid employment and become self-reliant.

The SWD commissioned NGOs to operate a 30-month Enhanced New Dawn Project from October 2007. This was designed to help single parents and child carers on the CSSA Scheme, whose youngest child was aged between 12 and 14, move towards self-reliance by engagement in paid employment. The NGOs provide employment assistance services to project participants to enhance their employability. At year-end, 9 567 people had participated in the project.

To help long-term CSSA able-bodied unemployed youth aged between 15 and 29 return to the workforce, the SWD commissioned NGOs to operate the third phase of the Special Training and Enhancement Programme (My STEP) from October 2009 to September 2011. Participants are provided with counselling and structured motivational or disciplinary training to enhance their self-image, self-confidence and sense of responsibility. Participants aged between 15 and 24 are also provided with opportunities to participate in the Youth Pre-employment Training Programme (YPTP) and Youth Work Experience and Training Scheme (YWET) administered by the Labour Department, enabling them to gain work experience through job attachment. At year-end, 328 unemployed youth had participated in the third phase of the My STEP project.

The SWD commissioned NGOs to operate a three-year Integrated Employment Assistance Scheme (IEAS) from October 2008 to help able-bodied unemployed CSSA recipients aged between 15 and 59 secure full-time paid employment and become self-reliant. The scheme provides ordinary and intensive employment assistance services. At year-end, 61 912 unemployed people had participated in the IEAS.

The SSA Scheme

The non-contributory SSA Scheme provides a cash allowance to meet the special needs of elderly people and persons with severe disabilities. It comprises Normal Disability Allowance, Higher Disability Allowance, Normal Old Age Allowance (NOAA) and Higher Old Age Allowance (HOAA). At year-end, 624 495 people were receiving SSA. The scheme's total expenditure during the year was $8.72 billion, an increase of 5.3 per cent over the previous year. In January, the monthly rates for NOAA and HOAA were raised across-the-board to $1,000.

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 2009, $6.49 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, $186 million was paid out under the scheme.

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