TAIPEI - THE Ministry of the Interior (MOI) yesterday encouraged people facing sudden financial difficulties and other problems due to the current economic recession to phone the '1957 national welfare hotline' for help.
The central government, in collaboration with local governments, set up the hotline in November 2006 to provide timely help to people with dire problems. The service offers onsite visits, emergency relief, employment assistance and legal counselling.
So far this year, an average of 1,000 to 1,990 calls per month were made to the hotline, with most callers seeking emergency relief, unemployment support, and medical treatment aid, according to the ministry.
Many people have successfully overcome their difficulties with the help of the service provided via the hotline, the MOI said.
The ministry cited the example of a man surnamed Hsiung in Taoyuan County, who was granted urgent financial subsidies at first and later landed a job with the help of the local government's employment centre after he made a call earlier in the year to the hotline seeking assistance.
At the time, MR Hsiung had suffered a number of blows in quick succession and was reeling from the death of his wife, the loss of his job and his financial inability to look after his young child, according to the MOI. -- China Post/ANN
The central government, in collaboration with local governments, set up the hotline in November 2006 to provide timely help to people with dire problems. The service offers onsite visits, emergency relief, employment assistance and legal counselling.
So far this year, an average of 1,000 to 1,990 calls per month were made to the hotline, with most callers seeking emergency relief, unemployment support, and medical treatment aid, according to the ministry.
Many people have successfully overcome their difficulties with the help of the service provided via the hotline, the MOI said.
The ministry cited the example of a man surnamed Hsiung in Taoyuan County, who was granted urgent financial subsidies at first and later landed a job with the help of the local government's employment centre after he made a call earlier in the year to the hotline seeking assistance.
At the time, MR Hsiung had suffered a number of blows in quick succession and was reeling from the death of his wife, the loss of his job and his financial inability to look after his young child, according to the MOI. -- China Post/ANN
