10 measures will guarantee better living standards

The Ministry of Civil Affairs yesterday unveiled 10 policies and measures to improve livelihoods this year.

Among them, the ministry will guide local civil affairs authorities to strengthen temporary assistance, making it play a better role in guaranteeing basic living standards and help in emergencies, said Minister of Civil Affairs Huang Shuxian.

It will step up efforts in developing a nursing system for impoverished people with serious disabilities.

The ministry will further standardize the transparency of trust in charitable organizations, and mobilize and guide more social forces to participate in poverty alleviation.

Other measures target support for people living in dire poverty, public services in rural areas, as well as urban and rural community-based self-governing organizations.

Meanwhile, the ministry said China has made headway in poverty alleviation, with minimum living allowance standards for both urban and rural areas rising in 2018.

Compared with 2017, the minimum living allowance standard for urban areas increased by 7.2 percent and the standard for rural areas by 12.4 percent in 2018.

Huang said the lives of more than 45 million people receiving the allowances have been improved.

Minimum living allowances for rural areas in China reached or surpassed the national poverty line in 2018.

At the end of 2018, the country had 35.19 million people receiving minimum living allowances in rural areas, with the standard annual allowance 4,833 yuan (US$720).

Also, more than 10 million disabled people in financial difficulties and more than 11 million people with serious disabilities have benefited from subsidies.

Huang said authorities have ensured more than 320,000 orphans were taken care of, and provided assistance for 1.464 million homeless people.

Huang noted that the number of social workers has exceeded 1 million.