SHENZHEN will expand the minimum subsistence allowance to some nonlocal hukou families and appropriately raise the amount of allowance for people above age 60 and some physically challenged people, Shenzhen Evening News reported.

According to the Measures for Guaranteeing Minimum Subsistence Allowance recently issued by the General Office of the Shenzhen Municipal Government, the city will further improve minimum subsistence guarantee mechanisms and standardize the minimum subsistence mechanism from application acceptance, investigation and verification, approval, fund handout and supervision.

Families whose average monthly income is below the city's minimum subsistence standard of the year can apply for the assistance.

According to the new rule, parents, spouses, underage children or adult dependents who have no Shenzhen hukou (permanent residence permits) but have lived for more than a year with hukou residents can enjoy minimum subsistence guarantee. The regulation expands the application base from family-based to family+individual based, which means, in principle, the Shenzhen Civil Affairs Bureau only accepts family applicants, but for some families whose members have special and severe diseases, physical disabilities, or are underage children whose parents are unable to perform their duties due to physical disabilities or mental problems, the authority can accept applications from the individuals of the families.

In addition to monthly minimum subsistence guarantees, the bureau will also give an additional living assistance fund to family members who are aged 60 and above or are physically challenged. The living assistance fund should be 30 percent of the minimum subsistence standard for the year.

The civil affairs bureau will work with the finance department to work out the annual minimum subsistence standard and implement the new standard every year. (Han Ximin)