Disabled people have priority to rent or buy Beijing's guaranteed housing

Beijing's low-income disabled families in urban areas with housing difficulties will enjoy housing guarantee policies. Beijing Municipal Government issued the "implementation opinions about promoting the development of the undertaking for disabled people" on July 4. The "opinions" stipulate that the urban guaranteed housing and government-subsidized housing projects will be rented or sold to qualified impoverished and severely disabled families as a priority. In addition, the reimbursement for disabled people’s hospitalization and outpatient services will be increased.

Currently there are 999,000 disabled people in Beijing, involving 2.6 million family members. The “opinions” state that by 2010, all disabled children and youngsters will be accepted in Beijing’s compulsory education, and all disabled people will be covered by basic care for the elderly, basic medical care and basic rehabilitation. By 2015, Beijing will offer disabled people “rehabilitation, care at home and an obstacle-free environment outside houses.”

Medical care

Medication for mentally disabled people expected to be free of charge

For the disabled people who join the basic medical insurance program for urban residents and new rural cooperative medical care programs, Beijing will raise the reimbursement and compensation levels for their hospitalization and outpatient services. The severely disabled people who join these two insurance programs will obtain full-amount subsidies for their individual insurance premiums and the mildly disabled will be granted a 50-percent subsidy by joining the basic medical insurance program.

Low-income disabled people are included in the urban and rural medical care relief programs. Special medical relief fund for disabled people’s serious diseases will be established to help those who still have difficulties after enjoying medical insurance and medical subsidy policies. The mentally disabled are expected to enjoy basic medication free of charge.

Social insurance

Severely disabled people joining insurance program entitled to full-amount subsidies

From now on, those “overage” disabled workers who have paid social insurance premiums but need to delay payments for basic pension and medical insurances, facing difficulties in making payments, will be allowed to delay their payments and obtain one-off subsidies from relevant authorities. Based on the minimum individual premiums, the severely disabled people who join the insurance program will obtain full-amount subsidies and the mildly disabled will be subsidized for 50 percent. The unemployed mildly disabled will be granted a subsidy of 100 yuan per month.

Housing

Dilapidated houses of rural disabled people on minimum government living subsidies will be renovated

All low-income disabled families in urban areas with housing difficulties will be included in the housing guarantee policies. The urban guaranteed housing and government-subsidized housing projects will be rented or sold to qualified impoverished and severely disabled families as a priority. The low-income disabled families in rural areas will be the first group to enjoy old housing renovation policies designed for rural impoverished people. By the end of 2009, all dilapidated houses of rural disabled people on minimum government living subsidies will be renovated.

Currently, none of Beijing’s districts or counties has independently set up special education schools. The special education schools must be established during the “Eleventh Five-Year Plan” period.

Translated by LOTO