The Demonstrable Analysis Of The Social Assistance System In The Undern-developed Areas

Social assistance is the most fundamental sub-system in the modern social security system. Social assistance, as the final "safety net" that secure the fundamental life of the poor groups, plays an irreplaceable role in the security of fundamental human rights, the promotion of social harmony, and the maintenance of social stability. The author starts from the concept of social assistance, investigates the social assistance practice in the under-developed areas in view of the current framework of social assistance in China, analyzes the situation and problems of the social assistance work in the under-developed areas in China, and provides strategic suggestions with eyesight in perfection for social assistance system in China.In September 1999, the State Council issued "Regulations on Minimum Subsistence Allowance for Urban Residents" that marks the formal establishment of the social assistance system of modern China, whereafter, the State Council and other Concerning departments successively issued administrative law and regulations concerning minimum subsistence allowance in urban areas, assistance on natural disasters, five guarantees in rural life, assistance to impoverished rural households, assistance to the vagrants and beggars in urban areas, and specialized assistance in medical, educational, and housing areas. Presently, China's social assistance has entered a new historical stage transforming from providing single assistance to constructing the system, from temporary assistance to systematical assistance.In recent years, the systematical construction of social assistance has realized rapid development. The social assistance work is in good development status. With the gradual establishment of social assistance system, the assistance target area has been enlarged in urban and rural areas, the financial income has kept growing up with the years, the assistance standard has continually rose, and the fundamental life of the majority of the poor groups has been secured. However, there still exist some remaining problems, like old assistance concepts, insufficient assistance input, defective administration system, low assistance coverage, and under-standard assistance. The author takes the social assistance work in Gansu Province as an example, analyzes the common problems shared by the social assistance work in under-developed areas, and raises a few strategic suggestions. Meanwhile, in consideration of China as a rural country with the majority - 62 percent of 1.3 billion population in rural areas, the author mainly focuses on the perfection of rural social assistance system.Today, with people' s livelihood being concerned, people' s rights being secured, and the harmonious society being promoted, it become more urgent to establish the "social assistance system led by the government, participated by all citizens, planed in the urban and rural areas as a whole, with an optimum coverage and an active administration." It is firmly believed that with the effort of the government and the society, China' s social assistance system will be perfected, the minority groups will be properly assisted, the fear and crisis for living will be relieved, and the whole nation will benefit from the reformation and the development.