Urban Minimum Living Allowance benefits tens of millions of people

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Source: CCTV.com | 10-17-2007 13:53

The Urban Minimum Living Allowance system is one of the government's key policies for building a harmonious society during the past years. The southwestern city of Chengdu was the first to initiate the project.

Chengdu, the capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, is well-known for its low cost of living. 1,000 yuan each month can give you a very comfortable life here. But there are still close to 57,000 households-more than 100,000 local residents-whose monthly income is less than 245 yuan, the minimum standard for each urban resident. They are incorporated into the city's urban minimum living allowance system. With government assistance, their life has changed. Zhao Zhenhe's family has enjoyed a regular stipend since 1997.

57-year-old Zhao Zhenhe and her husband had been scraping by for decades.

Without a pension, savings or insurance, they struggled to make ends meet by living on the meager wages Zhao earned as post-office assistant.

But things turned around for them ten years ago. The Chengdu municipal government initiated a minimum living allowance plan in 1997, two years earlier than the endorsement of the UMLA regulations by the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Zhao's family was lucky to be among the first to benefit.

And their allowance has risen over the years. Their current 445 yuan per month is not a small amount for a family in their circumstances.

Chengdu resident Zhao Zhenhe said, "Our monthly family income is 290 yuan. The system requires that the average income per person should be no less than 245 yuan. My family consists of three members. So I get 445 yuan each month from the government."