\tMore than 70 percent of elderly people in Shanghai are open to a house-for-pension program, a survey showed, despite a recent public outcry against the idea raised in a central government document.<\/p>\n
\tAccording to the Shanghai investigation team under the National Bureau of Statistics, the program was supported by 73 percent of respondents as a possible means to ease the burden on elderly people in an aging society where people are choosing to have fewer or no children.<\/p>\n
\tUnder the program, an elderly person who owns a property could deed the house to an insurance company or bank, which would determine the value of the property and the applicant's life expectancy, and pay out a fixed amount of money every month.<\/p>\n
\tThe survey of 2,248 residents aged from 60 to 79 who have lived in Shanghai for more than one year found only 27 percent of respondents were firmly against the idea, the bureau's investigation team said in a report.<\/p>\n
\tThose against the program cited various reasons including the possibility of family disputes, and that they don't need the program because their children will care for them in their old age.<\/p>\n
\tRespondents in rural areas said the program is impossible because the land used for building rural houses cannot be traded.<\/p>\n
\tEarlier this month, the State Council, China's cabinet, issued a document promising a complete social care network for people over the age of 60 by 2020.<\/p>\n
\tThe house-for-pension program, together with other policies such as encouraging private investment in elder care services, is dedicated to serving the world's largest population of elderly.<\/p>\n
\tBut the proposal drew wide criticism, with many suggesting that it shows the government is preparing to pay less attention to elder care services.<\/p>\n
\tExperts said those respondents who said yes to the idea would not necessarily utilize the program.<\/p>\n
\tIn the United States, where a similar program has been in place for more than 20 years, only 2 percent of people aged 65 or above have mortgaged their houses for a pension, according to Feng.<\/p>\n
\tThe Shanghai survey also found 87.5 percent of respondents agreed with the concept of "raising sons to help in old age", and 67.3 percent supported the traditional concept of the family supporting its elderly members.<\/p>\n
\tThe respondents expected the authorities to provide more beds at care centers, improve community-based caring services and enhance the service level of those engaged in the sector, the survey found.<\/p>\n
\tBy the end of 2012, Shanghai had 3.67 million people aged 60 or older, accounting for 25.7 percent of its total registered population, according to Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau. Shanghai also has millions of migrants who are not registered in the city.<\/p>\n