The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) said yesterday it had allocated NT$160 million (US$5 million) to local governments to help disadvantaged families, the elderly living alone and homeless people during the Lunar New Year, as most government offices will be closed during that period.
“We have allocated as much as NT$160 million to local governments — including village and borough offices — before the Lunar New Year holidays so they will have some money at hand if they need to provide welfare services during the holidays,” Minister of the Interior Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) said at a press conference yesterday morning.
Under the project, each household will receive a donation of NT$5,000 at once and a maximum of NT$30,000 afterwards after their cases are reviewed by social welfare agencies, said Huang Bi-hsia (黃碧霞), the head of the ministry’s Department of Social Affairs.
Jiang and other ministry officials called a press conference after the tragic news of a family — a 15-year-old girl, a 10-year-old boy and their parents — found dead in a vehicle in Wulai Township (烏來), Taipei County, yesterday.
A note left at their home led police to suspect that the couple, both in their early 40s, committed suicide because of debt, saying the family burned charcoal after taking sleeping pills.
“The most difficult thing in delivering help to people in need is to find out where they are. When we can’t contact them, we can’t help them,” Jiang said.
He said the ministry had met non-governmental welfare groups as well as village and borough chiefs earlier this month to determine what disadvantaged families, the elderly, the homeless and children under their jurisdiction might need during the holidays.
“The 1957 social welfare hotline will remain in operation from 8am to 10pm everyday during the Lunar New Year holidays,” Jiang said.
“We will send someone to help within three hours after receiving a call for help,” Jiang said.
Ministry official Hsieh Yu-chun (謝於純) said that while most government offices would be closed during the holidays, the ministry has asked welfare departments at local governments to stand by.
Jiang said that home services and meal deliveries for the elderly who are living alone would continue throughout the holidays.
“The ministry will pay a bonus of NT$360 per hour to social workers who take care of elderly individuals living alone at home during the holidays, as per the Labor Standards Act [勞動基準法].”
Jiang said that he had also asked local governments to place elderly individuals living alone who are in poor health in nursery homes during the holidays.
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