Research On Fairness Issues In The Current Chi’nas Social Assistance

Social assistance differs from social relief, social welfare and social insurance. It isa type of social service, a part of social security system under government supports, agovernment action to perform its obligation of safeguarding the subsistence right of itspeople, and the last defense line of social safety and social security.As an important aspect of social security system, social assistance is providedfinancially and materially for a temporary or a long term by the state or the society tosocial members who have subsistence difficulties for any reason through approacheslike redistribution of national income, in order to protect their subsistence. Based on thesystem of urban and rural subsistence allowances, China’s social assistance constitutesmany aspects, such as living and housing security, medical and educational help,disaster and poverty aid, etc. Social assistance depends on social justice. Social justice isthe moral requirement for social assistance, which is to standardize the behaviors ofsocial groups, different from fairness which has no reference object; it is “justice asfairness”, mainly embodying the basic concepts of equality, freedom and cooperation.Problems about justice in current China’s social assistance mainly include: firstly,how to persist in the value principle of justice in the practice of social assistance? Whatit implies is that social assistance is provided only for the subsistence of the recipientsand can’t incur the problem of “raising slug” or “welfare dependency” as called inwestern countries; otherwise, it is unfair for the recipients; secondly, how to realize thejustice in specific social assistance projects? Currently China faces justice problem interms of subsistence allowance, disaster aid, medical and educational help and legalsalvation.To safeguard the justice in current China’s social assistance, firstly, the valueorientation of justice shall be followed in the design of social assistance system and inthe implementation of social assistance, which is the theoretical basis for the realizationof the justice in social assistance; secondly, the value principle of justice shall bepersisted in during the implementation of social assistance, including principle of object,principle of openness to all people, principle of non-compulsion, principle ofconsistency; furthermore, the system improvement is critical to the realization of justicein China’s social assistance. Therefore, we should begin with the establishment of acomplete and judicial legal system of social assistance, establishment of judicialsecurity system of social assistance, and the use of functions of non-profit organizationsand individuals.Generally, social assistance is mainly available to vulnerable groups and groupswithout basic living conditions. When making relevant social assistance policy, Chinashould first identify the objects and consider the living conditions of vulnerable groups,and then establish relevant systems on the principle of justice, implement the social assistance, enhance the viability of vulnerable groups and provide job opportunities forthem, so as to eliminate social contradictions and realize social harmony.