The Taipei City Government is reinstating the practice of distributing cash gifts for seniors on the Double Ninth Festival, with each eligible resident receiving at least NT$1,500, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said yesterday.
The policy was suspended for most people when Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) became Taipei mayor in 2014, with only senior residents from low and low-middle-income households qualifying for the handout.
Taipei has become a super-aged society, with people aged 65 or older accounting for 20.9 percent of the city’s population, the most among the six special municipalities, Chiang said.
Photo: CNA
The number of senior residents is expected to reach 550,000 by the end of the year, suggesting that advanced healthcare quality is enabling more elderly people to live healthier and longer lives, he said.
The cash gift is a demonstration of the city government’s respect and care for senior residents, he added.
To make it easier for seniors to receive it, aside from the usual bank transfers and in-person collections, seniors can have the money stored in their Taipei Senior EasyCard (敬老卡) at convenience stores and designated locations.
To qualify for the NT$1,500 gift, recipients must possess a Taipei household registration of more than three months as of Double Ninth Day on Oct. 23, the Taipei Department of Social Welfare said.
In addition, they must be 65 to 98 years old or born on or before Dec. 31, 1958, or 55 to 88 years old for indigenous people who were born on or before Dec. 31, 1968, it said.
People who might be a few days short of 65 by Oct. 23 should not worry, as all seniors who turn 65 by the end of the year would qualify, department Commissioner Yao Shu-wen (姚淑文) said.
Those aged 99 or older who were born on or before Dec. 31, 1924 (Dec. 31, 1935, for indigenous people) are to receive a cash handout of NT$10,000 and an additional gift.
Senior residents who wish to receive the money via direct bank transfer to their Chunghwa Post or Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank account can apply for it online through the Department of Social Welfare’s Web site from July 26 to Aug. 31, and receive the cash on Oct. 3, the department said.
District offices will inform residents about where they can pick up the gift if they wish to do so in person from Oct. 12 to Nov. 13, or they can apply online from Nov. 14 to Dec. 31, it said.
For people who cannot receive their cash gift through either of the two options, borough wardens will deliver the cash to their homes, it said.
As for senior residents who are listed as belonging to low or low-middle-income households, or recipients of the Living Allowance for Mid-or-Low-Income Elders, the cash gift will be directly transferred to their bank account on Aug. 7, it said.
Senior residents who wish to have it stored on their Senior EasyCards can do so from Aug. 8 to Sept. 7 at Taipei MRT station ticket vending machines, the four major convenience chain stores (7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Hi-Life and OK Mart), supermarket chain Simple Mart, and the B1 information desk of the Taipei 101 shopping mall.
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