Pingtan county has raised the standard subsidies for extremely poor people in rural areas starting on July 1, according to the local civil bureau.

The monthly allowance for qualified beneficiaries was raised from 430 yuan to 490 yuan for the designated group, and from 520 yuan to 580 yuan （$83） for people who live in welfare institutions.

The Rural Five Guarantees, a policy covering impoverished, old or disabled people in rural areas with no source of income, provides care and financial assistance in five aspects: food, clothing, housing, medical service and funeral service.

A total of 2,329 people in Pingtan applied for the program, 63 of them from welfare agencies. The civil bureau allocates about 1 million yuan every month for the other 2,266.

It is the fourth year that Pingtan raised the allowance standard. With the latest increase, the standard is even higher than the provincial standard, according to the bureau.