China to strengthen monitoring of low-income population, improve social assistance system

BEIJING - China has issued a guideline to strengthen the dynamic monitoring of the low-income population and improve the tiered and classified social assistance system.

Efforts should be made to ensure the fruits of reform and development benefit people in need more equitably and the basic living needs of the people are met, according to the guideline jointly issued by 10 government agencies and forwarded by the General Office of the State Council.

It identified the range of low-income people in need of assistance and categorized them into different tiers according to their degree of difficulty.

Civil affairs authorities at all levels should gradually improve the dynamic monitoring information platform for low-income populations, detect the risks of their difficulties through real-time monitoring, and deal with early-warning information in a classified way.

The guideline required related authorities to offer tiered and classified relief and assistance to low-income people regularly with the help of monitoring information. The assistance includes support for basic livelihood, support in the fields of medical care, education, housing, employment, disaster relief, as well as emergency support.

It also encouraged the development of social assistance in the form of services, other forms of assistance, and charitable assistance.