A student whose trip to Hong Kong resulted in her low-income family possibly losing its welfare benefits has triggered online debate over how much freedom people receiving social assistance have to spend money they earn themselves.
The student, from Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province, attends a local secondary vocational school. Her family relies entirely on government subsistence allowances of 2,000 yuan (US$298) per month to make ends meet, and even her school fees depend on public charitable donations.
The girl had saved 3,000 yuan (US$447) from part-time work for a chance to travel to Hong Kong to see her favorite pop idol in concert.
Her family and village officials tried repeatedly to persuade her not to go. Welfare workers visited her home three times, warning that high-value overseas consumption could trigger a review of the family's eligibility for subsistence allowances and that the benefits could ultimately be revoked.
But the student went ahead with the trip. After she returned, civil affairs authorities detected her entry and exit records and launched a review of the household's eligibility. On September 7, authorities in Ganzhou issued a statement, claiming that the review was still ongoing.
Public opinion was divided. Many sympathized with the student, arguing that the concert money came from her own part-time work and that no welfare funds had been used.
But legal experts and civil affairs officials pointed out that China's welfare system assesses eligibility on a household basis, rather than individually, and considers the household's overall economic circumstances and consumption power. The ability to spend thousands of yuan on entertainment can be viewed as evidence that a household's financial situation has improved.
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