Welfare subsidies no cure-all for poor, immigrant mother says
The Social Welfare Department cares only how subsidies are distributed, says a mainland immigrant, who has a daughter in kindergarten and a chronically ill husband.
The woman surnamed Chan said her family's move to the city seven years ago had been a nightmare. They had rented a cubicle and shared a bathroom and kitchen, but the lack of space had made her depressed. 'I had no friends and no relatives ... and nobody understands the distress,' she said. 'I once thought of jumping out of the window but I could not do it when I looked into my daughter's eyes.'
Mrs Chan could not read or write English and it had been a big problem when helping her five-year-old's homework. 'Financial subsidies are important but they cannot answer all the problems met by a poor family,' she said. 'We cannot afford to employ tutors to teach English or to pay for my daughter's extra-curricular activities and these services can be offered by the government.'
Mrs Chan added that most poor families were unaware of how the government could help them other than Comprehensive Social Security Assistance. The family, with the help of a social worker, moved to a public housing estate three years ago.
'I am not sure if my daughter can be rid of poverty when she grows up but the change of living environment definitely helps,' she said.
