Social Welfare System in Hong Kong

Question 1 let tabu peerless type of the well-disposed wel farawaygon, address its communicatess of Hong Kong and a)explain its values, rationales and objectives b)ways of service deliin truth c)discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the service and d) defend suggestions to improve the work in future. CSSAAN entranceway The comprehensive Social security pecuniary aid Scheme (CSSA) is surely one of the about influential social welfargon in Hong Kong, in terms of money and beneficiary.In the fiscal year of 2010 alone, 19 billion was sp closing curtain on CSSA, which increased noniceably by 40% as comp ard with the expenditure decade years ago. As at the end of 2009, sum number of CSSA cases amounted to 289 139, representing an increase of 25. 3% oer 1999. CSSA accounted for 8. 6% of politics repeated expenditure, compared with 7. 5% in 2000. During 1999 to 2009, the average fruit in total number of cases per annum was 2. 3%. In covering firesheesh, the growth rat e of CSSA cases is pass judgment to accelerate beca rehearse the growth of older tribe allow peak in 2016-2026.In new(prenominal) words, the problem is non coming yet. further it entrust within 10 years. In view of the potential alarming situation, thither is an urgent deprivation to investigate the effectivity of the scheme. This es dictate depart give a brief review of the captioned scheme as well as to discuss affirmable ways to improve the services in the future, making the most effective use of government activity resources. CSSAITS VALUES, RATIONALES AND OBJECTIVES The CSSA Scheme was introduced in 1993, successor the former Public Assistance Scheme, and evolved over the past 20 years into the true convoluted arrangement.It is designed to provide a golosh net for individuals or families who dissolve non declare themselves financially for various reasons much(prenominal) as old(a) age, disability, illness, unemployment and low earnings. The CSSA Scheme pr ovides financial helper to bring the income of such individuals or families up to a prescribe aim to meet their basic needs. All CSSA recipients are entitled to free medical preaching at public hospitals or clinics. It is administered by the Social offbeat Department (SWD) and is non-contri andory precisely office- heared.APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS To be eligible for assistance, the appli skunkt must satisfy the residence requirements, that is, to submit resided in Hong Kong continuously for at least one year before the date of practise and be a Hong Kong resident for sevensome years. Yet, exception asshole be apt(p) for discretion. They must also pass two the income and assets tests. To pass the income test means the applicants total assessable periodic category income is insufficient to meet their total calendar calendar monthly needs as accepted under the Scheme.To pass the asset test means the total value of the with child(p) assets held by the applicant is below the prescribed limit. If the applicant lives with other family members, the application shall be made on a household basis. On top of the basic subsistence support, in that respect is a number of concomitants, alike(p) disability, old age, community surviving, single parent, transport supplement, which is excessively excessive to mention here. A soul can read an application right away to a social guarantor knowledge base unit, or by referral to the Social public assistance Department by a nonher government department or a non-governmental organization.Upon receipt of an application, round of the SWD will conduct probe and verification of the applicants circumstances. It is ordinarily completed in a month and is actually convenient. CSSAITS STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES Generally public speaking CSSA has been sooner effective in providing a refuge nets towards the needy, whether the amount of grants is sufficient or not is subject to argument, one has to acknowledge the situation that there is no major starvation/freezing death caused by pauperism in recent years. The general support conditions and nutritions of the poor improved, compared many an(prenominal) years ago.In the past, social welfare is on the button a feeding station, or allay measures after the problems exist, CSSA, with its recent reform of adding a lot and much subsidies like disabilities, elderly, transport supplementetc, is a rather complicated bullion transfer frame spirt, which definitely, effectively realized a safety net and contributed a part of qualifying peoples living standard. It seems that CSSA was able to fulfill the very basic philosophy of social security insurance and social policy in general terms, which is residual or remedial. CSSA is close to a passive scheme as a rescue if the applicant himself, or his family failed to help.It is remedial because it functions only if you fall and will not prevent you from falling. This is of no surmise that CSS A can solve immediate issues, but not the root of it. In fact there are changes that CSSA can make to help part administer with this problem. Moreover, there is room of improvement of the efficiency of the scheme, as it has become more and more complex that something can be done to make it more efficient as a safety net. And as progress, it is vital that we run across at the possible policy that can be adjusted to go against cope with the situation as things do change over time.One of the major characteristics of CSSA is that it is a means tested scheme. In a nutshell, as long as the applicant meets the requirements, the applicants are entitled to get the benefits, as a matter of right. What they do is to assess the vicenary elements of the applicants, such as how many assets they hire, how much they earn per month, the severity of his sickness, and treat them as fair as possible, without flavor at their accent, their ability, the reason they apply for the scheme.As a govern ment servant, I comprehend the difficulty to do so because their job is to do sound judgement on the financial criteria. But CSSA is not just simple financial assistance, ideally speaking. When the unemployed come for assistance, their problem is not just short of money for assistance, they are unable or not unbidden to find jobs which they do not like or do not moderate their skills or think the wage is in addition low for him. Recent news inform a postgraduate graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong is an example. CSSA applicants reserve problems besides financing.I dare say a considerably proportion of staff running the program are not equipped with the skills that can deal with the draw issue, thus missed the chance of anterior investigation of the candidate while looking for at the documents and data before the grant. However, CSSA is far from sufficient to provide something constructive, to help the recipients for victorious constructive acts to participa te in society. indemnify now we see that, the community is increasingly dependent, which is harmful. The CSSA should abandon the passive strategy of patently looking at needs and drawing out cash.This can be done by demanding the recipients to take steps to help themselves as a prerequisite to receive the payments. It has in fact already been adopted and have a positive result. With the introduction of the increase Support for Self-reliance Scheme measures in June 2003, there was a rapid retardent in the rate of increase in unemployment cases during June to September 2003, the number of cases also started to surrender as from October 2003 to October 2008. But the unemployment case started to spread out since 2009, and almost reached the level of 1999, which is the year of financial crisis.As a suggestion, the said scheme can add community service work as a component of the criteria of acquiring subsistence, such as to clean toilets in governmental departments, of some minimum hours per month as a way to sanction them to contribute to the society. Back to the postgraduate in CU as an example, of course he will get something go against than looking after elderly as a job Even if he cannot do so what he has done will be beneficial to the society. Moreover, the scheme is comely more complicated as more and more supplement and discretionary items have been added.It is no longer a carcass that is administratively simple or efficient. The want of training of the said officials and the complexity the system deter the efficiency of the officials to tackle the applicants ad hoc needs, rather in a course enhanced their reliability on CSSA. alternative of solving the problems, despite of training workers, is to communicate up up the current structure of the administration, such as diving the recipients into categories, with their own eligibility criteria, referrals, conditions of assistance and kinds of help to offer.Bureau working on this will be, despit e more systematic, will have a much more clear idea of how to help the applicant and in turn, the applicant received a better idea of their benefit and get better helped. For instance the financial needs of the elderly should be considered with their health care. They may, because worrying insufficient money to pay their health care, pull round the already little grants received from CSSA, sacrificing their living quality. There seems little cooperation with the Social upbeat department with relevant charity organizations.The same applies to other groups, like, for single parents family, which they save the CSSA for family services. I have already made the point through the above that CSSA, generally speaking is effective and have done a good job in providing a safety net to Hong Kong, by a one-way muckleout of cash. But it can, in fact, requiring the recipients to contribute back to the society by adding a component of voluntary services element into the scheme. This, on one han d can screen out people who do not really need CSSA, thus focusing to the resources and attention to those desperately in need.And on the other hand to help those screened out forcing them getting back to the mainstream. And as mentioned about, the efficiency of the CSSA system can be more efficient by adopting a categorical approach, better coordinated the skills of staff working therein and the background of recipients. In a nutshell, CSSA do create some sort of dependence because, looking at the amount of CSSA cases and the economy of Hong Kong it is not very much correlated. That suggests that the determining portion for the number of people on welfare is, maybe the welfare system itself.Therefore it is very critical for the government to formulate its social welfare policy so that the policy will not create dependency by itself, better organizing structure of manpower, so the budget can save a few billion and most importantly, better matching of resources and helping those r eally in need. (1719 words) Reference 1. Research and Statistics Section, Social Welfare Department, Statistics on Comprehensive Social security measures Assistance Scheme, 1999 to 2009 2. Social Welfare Department, A Guide to Comprehensive Social Security Assistance