Social Security

It is safe to say that Beijing's residents' living standards have improved significantly. Their lives, from birth to retirement, have been realistically assured.

By the end of 2005, the numbers of residents participating in basic old-age pension insurance, basic medical insurance, unemployment insurance and industrial injury insurance plans totalled 5.2 million, 5.75 million, 3.95 million and 3.29 million, with net increases of 600,000, 908,000, 866,000 and 699,000 people. Specifically, numbers of people participating in basic old-age pension insurance and unemployment insurance increased by 1.28 million and 1.07 million than that at the end of 2000. Basic medical insurance participants increased to 3.58 million more than at the end of 2001. There were about 406,000 participants in the rural old-age pension insurance programme, increasing by 38,000 people over that of 2004. As many as 2.49 million people were participating in a new-type rural cooperative medical care system, 150,000 more than in 2004, with a participation rate of 81 percent, 17 percentage points higher than in 2004.

Standards for social security benefits were raised. The city's residents were entitled to minimum-living allowances that benefited 155,000 people, 6,000 less than in the previous year. The number of rural people entitled to minimum-living allowances increased to 780,000, 3,000 more than in previous year. The number of handicapped people who were entitled to urban or rural minimum-living allowances came to 40,000, about 3,000 more than in the previous year. In 2005, Beijing had 323 social welfare institutions, with 32,000 beds, which had taken in 20,000 people.

In Beijing, 1,770 community service facilities, including 162 community service centres, existed in either urban or rural areas. Community construction achieved rapid momentum. All of the municipality's 18 districts and counties have established district-level community service centres larger than 3,000 square metres; 162 street committees have established street community service centres of more than 1,000 square metres, and 2,300 communities set up community service stations of more than 100 square metres in size. Social relief work in both urban and rural areas achieved breakthroughs. A basic living allowances system that covers both urban and rural populations was created. About 232,000 urban residents were entitled to benefit from the urban subsistence system's allowances, basically meeting the target of "giving subsistence allowances to those who are entitled to them."

During the Tenth Five-Year Plan, a total of 75.73 million yuan in relief funds were provided and more than 570,000 people, who had been hit by natural adversity, received assistance. About one million people who were faring badly because of illness or natural disasters got timely help. Eighteen vagrant and beggar assistance stations and one vagrant children's assistance and protection centre were set up, with more than 120,000 beneficiaries. Elderly care services and children's welfare programmes made remarkable progress. By the end of 2004, Beijing had 319 institutions available to serve elderly people, with 28,488 beds, an increase of 10,400 beds more than in 2000, with an annual average growth rate of 12 percent. The city had 15 children's welfare institutions with about 1,470 beds to take in and care for orphans and abandoned children.

During the Tenth Five-Year Plan, a new social security set up and system were initially formed, and urban and rural social security coverage steadily enlarged. It was estimated that the coverage rates for basic old-age pension insurance, basic medical insurance, industrial injury insurance, unemployment insurance and child-bearing and birthing insurance plans were 91 percent, 91 percent, 70 percent and 90 percent. Rural labourers in urban areas were included in the social security network, with priority given to their industrial injury insurance and basic medical insurance needs. The new-type rural cooperative medical care system developed rapidly; the old-age pension insurance system was improved, as was the social relief system. About 390,000 farmers participated in the old-age pension insurance plan, and 2.47 million people participated in the new-type rural cooperative medical care system. A social relief system was set up, with minimum subsistence allowances as its basis, complete with a specifically designated relief system that was supplemented with temporary and mutual relief. A rural minimum living allowance system was established.

The monthly basic pension for retirees from enterprises was raised from 705 yuan (US$88.13) per month to 1,086 yuan (US$135.75) month on average, and the minimum monthly salaries for employed workers were raised from 412 yuan (US$51.50) to 580 yuan (US$72.50). The monthly minimum living allowances for urban residents increased from 280 yuan (US$35) to 300 yuan (US$37.50).