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Elderly subsidy program expanded

By Qian Yanfeng (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-27 08:43

About 380,000 people in Beijing will benefit from a government subsidy program aiming to support the elderly and disabled from next year.

Jointly launched by the municipal civil affairs bureau and Beijing Disabled Persons' Federation, the city-wide program will give eligible senior citizens aged over 80, and those aged between 16 and 79 and who are severely disabled, a monthly coupon of 100 yuan ($15), which they can use to pay for services including dining, daycare and medical treatment.

The program began last year in 10 of the 18 districts as a pilot project to support home-based care for the elderly and the disabled. Only people aged above 90 were eligible, in addition to those without the ability to work. The monthly subsidy ranged from 50 to 250 yuan.

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The program has so far benefited up to 82,000 people, according to official statistics. Under the extended program, people aged above 80 will now be eligible for the subsidy program.

Citizens in Beijing aged above 80 reached 294,000 at the end of last year, while those above 100 hit 396.

Beijing has a rapidly aging population and it is one of the first cities in the country to experience negative population growth.

By the end of 2008, about 17.7 percent of Beijing's permanent residents, or 2.2 million, were aged above 60, official figures show. That percentage is considered to be one of the highest in the country.

A report by Beijing's working committee for the aged forecast that with a growth rate of nearly 5 percent each year, the city's elderly population would reach 6.5 million by 2050, which means 1 out of every 3 residents would be aged over 60.

In contrast, there are only 40,000 beds presently available for the elderly at the city's retirement homes.

Last week, the first day-care center for the elderly in Beijing's Shijingshan district was reported to be in financial difficulties. Senior citizens only had to pay 5 yuan for a day's care and entertainment.

The city government plans to cover all the residential areas with community-based care centers for the elderly in 3 years, and has made it clear that by 2020, 90 percent of the elderly aged above 60 would receive care at home, 6 percent would be looked after at their communities, with the remaining 4 percent living in seniors' home.

The government also plans to set up 100 food centers across the city's communities to provide delivery services to the elderly so that they can have access to better meals.