Original title: None of the elderly meal allowance is paid in cash (subject)

Each district, street and town canteen has discount, package, recharge and other preferential methods. The so-called "online application" refers to the separation of elderly identity authentication and obtaining vouchers (subtitle)

Liberation Daily reporter Ren Chong

Shanghai Ballad Rejection Platform

Recently, a news that "the municipal government provides 2 yuan of meal allowance to Shanghai's elderly over 60 years old every day" spread on the Internet. The Shanghai Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau clarified this, saying that there is no unified food aid subsidy standard in Shanghai at present. Each district, street and town has formulated their own regional food aid subsidy policy based on the actual situation, and the food aid subsidy for the elderly is not directly distributed in cash.

For this explanation, some citizens are puzzled, "Why is it said online to apply online?"? In this regard, the reporter's field visit found that the "online application" is to make it more convenient for the elderly who are "separated from households" to enjoy the meal discount.

There are several choices for "big meat" in the community canteen. Photographed by Ren Chong, a reporter of Jiefang Daily

Various subsidy methods, none of which is cash

For two consecutive days, the reporter visited different community canteens in Huangpu, Jing'an, Putuo, Pudong, Baoshan and other districts, and found that the food aid subsidies and methods of these canteens are different, which are formulated by each district and street. However, all subsidies are not cash or 2 yuan. Instead, they are based on the principle of "no food, no food, no food, no food" for eligible seniors, and are realized through meal discounts, preferential packages and other forms.

At the "Zero Distance Home" Community Canteen in Nanjing West Road Street, Huangpu District, Suzhou River, residents over 65 years old in the area can enjoy the "Elderly Preferential Package" 22 times a month by virtue of the elderly card. The package price is very affordable: 10 yuan for a small meat and a vegetable, 14 yuan for a large meat and a small meat and a vegetable, 16 yuan for a large meat and a small meat and two vegetables, and 20 yuan for two large meat and two vegetables. A meat dish worth more than 10 yuan is a big meat dish, a small meat dish worth 7 yuan, and a vegetable dish usually costs 4 yuan.

Take the menu at noon on May 22 for example, the big meat includes crispy pomfret priced at 18 yuan, fried scallion and ginger fingernails priced at 15 yuan, braised pork with dried plum vegetables, and steamed egg with minced meat priced at 12 yuan; Small meat dishes include Mapo Tofu, etc; Vegetables include shrimp skin and winter melon, and three color shredded cabbage. If the elderly choose a set meal containing meat, only 14 yuan can buy a combination of the original price of 29 yuan, such as "crispy pomfret+Mapo tofu+three color cabbage", with a discount of 15 yuan; If you choose the cheapest 10 yuan package, the discount range is about 1 yuan.

Also in Huangpu District, Uncle Hu, a resident of Dapuqiao Street, has an "old friend card" in his hand. He doesn't go to the community canteen very much, but prefers various time-honored helpers' meals. "Spending with the card, you can reduce 6 yuan from 30 yuan for the rich, 4 yuan from 20 yuan for the rich. Every day, you can change your style and choose a lot." It turns out that on the basis of the community canteen in Huangpu District, there is also a "time-honored senior restaurant" service, After applying for the "old friend card", eligible seniors in the district can enjoy meal privileges in the time-honored restaurants participating in the project. The discount range of time-honored brands is not uniform, some are full or reduced, and some are preferential packages, which are formulated by catering enterprises themselves.

At the "Lening" community canteen in Jiangning Road Street, Jing'an District, preferential dining policies were announced on the wall: 10% off for people over 60 years old in the street area, 8.5% off for people over 80 years old, and 8.5% off for key preferential objects and veterans. The cashier explained that eligible seniors could come to the canteen to apply for a meal card and swipe the card to get a discount. Uncle Huang chose 15 yuan braised perch, 8 yuan shredded lettuce and 2 yuan rice, which is 22.5 yuan after discount, with a discount of 2.5 yuan. In his opinion, it is reasonable to "cut as much as you eat" and "let people be generous and frugal".

Diversified operation to facilitate more people

The reporter learned that different canteens have different subsidies, which is related to the actual operation. Many community canteens have introduced third-party operators or collaborators. The diversified operation not only makes meals affordable for the elderly, but also makes it convenient for more people to realize the smooth operation of community canteens.

At the community elders' canteen in Wuning District, Caoyang New Village Street, Putuo District, a "subsidy policy" clearly states that the elderly can get district level subsidies if they spend more than 15 yuan here, including 2 yuan per day for those aged 60 to 79, and 3 yuan per day for those aged 80 and above; For the elderly aged 60 and above with special difficulties, a daily subsidy of 6 yuan is offered. At the same time, the canteen has a business superposition discount, that is, for the elderly over 60 years old, 3 yuan will be deducted from the second single card payment of 15 yuan that day. Of course, these subsidies are not cash, but direct deduction when consuming. In addition, there is a special set of meals.

Shanggang Community Elderly Canteen in Pudong New Area also has business discounts. Mr. Liu, the operator, said: "The elderly living in the area between 60 and 79 years old can enjoy a 10% discount on meals, the elderly over 80 years old can enjoy a 85% discount, and the military can enjoy a 85% discount regardless of age. In addition to the above discounts, both the elderly and other consumers can also obtain a discount in the form of recharge cards."

As the first community canteen in the street of Shanggang New Village, it provides more than 60 kinds of food every day. Due to the convenient transportation, it is also welcomed by the surrounding residents and office workers. Therefore, in the actual operation of the restaurant, it also provides discounts for other people according to market practices. Among them, the elderly who meet the conditions of the elderly assistance subsidy can apply for a meal card, and enjoy a discount when presenting the meal card at settlement. The elderly can use their familiar payment methods; If you choose to recharge your meal card for settlement, there will be a maximum of "500 for 500, 50 for free" superimposed discount, and this discount is not limited to the elderly, but for all consumers. Therefore, although some residents did not meet the conditions of the old-age meal subsidy, they obtained preferential treatment by recharging. For operators, rechargeable meal cards increase the consumption stickiness and promote the sustainable development of the canteen.

Aunt Wang, who lives in Dachang Town, Baoshan District, also told reporters that their community canteen also has recharge service, but it can't be superimposed with the meal aid card

The reporter noticed that many young people are regular customers of the community canteen. In this regard, most community canteens have adopted the off peak service mode. For example, during lunch and dinner, priority should be given to serving the elderly; After the meal peak for the elderly ends, it will be opened to other residents, surrounding office workers and other groups. The elderly have different living habits from other consumer groups, so the service is orderly.

"Separation of people and households" will be more convenient

Another reason for the concern of this meal aid subsidy is whether the elderly who are separated from households can enjoy the meal aid subsidy. Some old people's registered permanent residence is not in the community canteen. In this regard, the Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau has given a clear answer: the elderly with household registration in this city can choose to eat in the community elders' canteen in the street town where they live, and enjoy discount or meal aid subsidies according to the policies of the street town where they live.

To this question, the community canteen visited by the reporter also gave a positive answer, saying that for the elderly with "separation of people and households", they can obtain residence identity authentication by means of neighborhood committee registration, issuing certificates, etc., so that they can enjoy the same dining treatment as the elderly with household registration in the area under their jurisdiction.

Among them, the practices of some communities also answered the questions of some citizens: what is online application. The answer is: instead of issuing cash subsidies, we will conduct identity authentication and obtain corresponding vouchers.

At present, some communities have provided online application review services, which means that the elderly no longer need to go to the neighborhood committee to issue certificates. As for the carriers of authentication results, there are various: some communities issue special identity authentication cards, such as "buffet card" and "old friend card"; Others directly bind the meal discount with the elderly care card, social security card and bank card, so that the elderly can enjoy the meal discount with their card.

In fact, the "online application" that attracted public attention this time is also a new way for relevant departments to verify the identity of the elderly while exploring the "separation of people and households". This means that in the future, the elderly who are separated from households will be more convenient when applying for the meal aid discount.