The government yesterday announced an increase in its annual subsidy for senior citizens from 9,000 patacas to 10,000 patacas.
The annual subsidy is issued to permanent local residents aged at least 65 once a year by the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS).
The 11-percent increase in the annual subsidy for senior citizens was announced in an executive order, signed by Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai on July 24, published in the Official Gazette (BO) yesterday.
The annual subsidy is issued to the beneficiaries in October, November or December.
According to yesterday’s order, the 1,000-pataca increase took effect yesterday, meaning that the beneficiaries will receive 10,000 patacas for this year’s subsidy.
Govt raises annual subsidy for those with disabilities
Meanwhile, the government yesterday also announced increases in its annual subsidy for those with disabilities.
The annual subsidy is issued to permanent local residents with disabilities once a year by the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS).
The increases were announced in a separate executive order by Sam gazetted yesterday. He signed this order also on July 24.
According to yesterday’s order, the increases in the annual subsidy for those with disabilities also took effect yesterday, meaning that the beneficiaries will receive their subsidies with the new amounts later this year.
According to the order, the annual subsidy will be increased to 10,000 patacas from 9,000 patacas for those with a lower level of disabilities, while the amount will be increased to 20,000 patacas from 18,000 patacas for those with a higher level of disabilities.
In order to benefit from the annual subsidy, those with disabilities need to be assessed by the Social Welfare Bureau first to determine the levels of their disabilities.
Under the assessment system, there are six kinds of impairment, namely visual, audio, verbal, physical, intellectual and mental. There are four levels for the six kinds of impairment, namely slight, moderate, severe and profound.
Those with a slight or moderate level of disability will receive 10,000 patacas as their annual subsidy later this year, while those with a severe or profound level of disability will receive 20,000 patacas as their annual subsidy.
Two pedestrians walk past the headquarters of the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) on Estrada do Cemitério yesterday. – Photo: Tony Wong
