IAS to grant regular financial assistance to 3,300 families

The Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) will once again grant its regular financial assistance to approximately 3,300 local families from September, according to a statement released yesterday by IAS.

The bureau expects to distribute a total of MOP19.5 million to the beneficiaries.

“IAS has been paying close attention to the pressure on the lives of vulnerable families. IAS also actively materializes the government’s policy of 2018,” the bureau said in the statement.

The money will be distributed starting from September 5, and will be handed out through the city’s eight banks by automatic transfer.

The amount of financial assistance will be equivalent to the amount stipulated by the city’s minimum subsistence index.

The regular financial assistance is said to “help these families resolve the extra expenses resulting from the start of a new school year and from mid-autumn festival.”

Families consisting of one to seven members will be granted, respectively in increasing order, MOP4,050, MOP7,440, MOP10,250, MOP12,460, MOP14,070, MOP15,680, and MOP17,290. Families with eight or more members will be granted MOP18,870.

The amount of each subsidy is the same as that of last year. Last year, IAS handed out around MOP22 million from its regular financial assistance program to approximately 4,000 local families.