Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Chew: Welfare aid not for everyone above 60

The Star News Saturday July 18, 2009


Applicants for welfare aid have to fulfil certain criteria before they are approved under the welfare aid scheme.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said some people misunderstood the scheme as some people thought anyone aged above 60 could claim welfare aid.

Chew said this after paying a surprise visit to the Welfare Services Department (JKM) office in Pekan Ampang recently to understand how help was provided and to assess its performance.

While there, she spoke to the poor and disabled who were there to collect financial aid.



She said the office was in a strategic location, but it was not conducive to the disabled and elderly as there were no drain covers and the floor was uneven, making it unsafe for them.

JKM officers said steps would be taken to address those problems.
Additionally, a pedestrian bridge is being built making the road outside the office uneven.

JKM officers are there every Tuesday and Thursday to register applicants and distribute aid money.

Welfare officers under Project CARI are also stationed there to register the destitute and the disabled.

Project CARI is a project conducted by the JKM to search and identify those who were eligible to receive welfare aid.

According to Chew, Selangor had been allocated RM50mil out of the national allocation of RM800mil for welfare aid.

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