lesson 5 – problems of social welfare in hong kong
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Lesson 5 – Problems of Social Welfare in Hong Kong
2nd December, 2010
Revision
Social Welfare Department
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme
2.2 What are the problems of social welfare in Hong Kong?
Main Problems
1)The government has to spend more on social welfare services because:
Ageing population
Increasing number of new arrivals ( 新移民 )
Economic restructuring ( 經濟轉型 ) The economy of Hong Kong is shifting from a manufacturing
( 製造業 ) to a service sector ( 服務性行業 ) economic base. Affected income distribution ( 收入分配 ), employment ( 就業 )
Unemployed population ( 失業人口 ) Largely due to economic downturn
Poor population
The problems of new arrivals ( 新移民 )
Why they need help from the government?
Videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM4xoGjzejg&playnext=1&list=PL7F0E179670CFAF5A&index=8
Main Problems
2) In order to reduce social welfare expenditure, the government outsource ( 外判 ) some social welfare services.
*Outsourcing: involve the contracting out of a business function to an external provider.
- 將政府的服務交給政府以外的機構或公司負責經營
At a result, the quality of services varies.
It may also cut some of its services and causes inconvenience to people.
Cutting social welfare services in Hong Kong
港府削減社會福利資源 , 除了即時影響廿多萬綜援人士的生活外 , 其實在過去大半年 , 已有十多間由政府資助的社會服務中心 , 包括專為單親和新來港家庭而設的服務中心先後關閉 , 改由綜合家庭服務中心取代。
一些志願團體認為 : 新來港人士不能適應香港的生活 , 最後可能會發生問題和悲劇 , 令社會的負擔更沉重。
5/11/2004
Video http://lib-nt2.hkbu.edu.hk/hkbutube/vod.asp?bibno=b1962557
Main Problems
3)Weaknesses in monitoring and approving CSSA ( 綜援 )Cases of abusing ( 濫用 ) CSSACash assistance makes some recipients ( 受助人 ) rely on it
Increases the government’s financial burden ( 財政負擔 )
Cases of abusing CSSA
2004年底在泰國海嘯中死裡逃生的高忠強、梁惠淇夫婦，其中妻子梁惠淇返港被揭發涉嫌以假分居詐騙較高綜援金。
03年 7 月，梁婦向社署申報夫妻離異已分居，獲得單親家庭綜援金並入住公屋，她與兩女兒合共領取 $9,500綜援金，較之前一家四口領取的金額多近千元。
但兩人報稱分居後，曾有多次出外旅遊紀錄，假分居事件一直沒被人察覺，直至 2004年 12月，兩人在泰國旅遊時遇上海嘯，夫婦靠床褥及木板在海中互相扶持七小時獲救上岸後的情深一吻，傳媒爭相追訪和廣泛報道，被社署揭發夫婦並沒分居，梁婦更涉嫌詐騙綜援。
Cases of abusing CSSA
82歲的香港前高等法院法官李柏儉及 81歲的妻子馮閏禪被控於 2003年向社會福利署申請綜援時，馮閏禪故意隱瞞二人多個香港及海外戶口、股票及在加拿大的物業近 200萬港元資產。
二人同時擁有美國會會籍，有數次以李柏儉的白金卡結帳的外遊紀錄，兩人共騙取十多萬港元綜援及華富村一個公屋單位。
25/5/2007
Can you think of other problems of social welfare in
Hong Kong?
Inflexibility ( 缺乏彈性 ) of CSSA- Lack of adjustment ( 調整 )- Cannot catch up with the price level
( 物價 )
Other problems of social welfare in Hong Kong
Rigidity ( 僵化 ) of CSSA- Sometimes it cannot provide
assistance to some people that are truly in need
Case:- 牛池灣一個單親綜援家庭，母親上周病逝，
因「家無儲糧」，可憐十九歲女兒，因無力殮葬母親，及恐無法供養十五歲胞弟，昨向社署求助，卻因她有工作，反遭終止發放綜援，雪上加霜。她坦言，新工未滿試用期，恐經濟出現問題，頓感前路茫茫。
23/11/2010
Other problems of social welfare in Hong Kong
Discussion
Besides cash assistance, can you think of other ways to help the
poor people?
Possible solutions besides providing cash assistance:
Create job opportunities for unemployed people
Provide training to people so that they can find jobs in the market
Videohttp://lib-nt2.hkbu.edu.hk/hkbutube/vod.asp?bibno=b1851030
ConclusionProblems of social welfare in Hong Kong
1. The government has to spend more on social welfare services because there are more and more people in need
2. The government may outsource and cut some of its services, so the quality of services varies and may cause inconvenience
3. Weaknesses in monitoring and approving CSSA
4. Inflexibility of CSSA
5. Rigidity of CSSA
Next lesson…
8th December, 2010 (Wednesday)
Please bring your textbook