BEIJING — China's central fiscal allocated 561.8 billion yuan (about $80 billion) to help people in need from 2016 to 2019, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said in a report on Dec 25.

The funds were used to help people in extreme poverty, orphans, and the homeless, among others, said the report on China's social assistance work.

Li Jiheng, minister of civil affairs, presented the report to the National People's Congress Standing Committee for deliberation at its ongoing bimonthly session which runs from Dec 23 to 28.

The report said China has basically established a social assistance system and the advantages of the system are increasingly evident.

The ministry promised to better pool social resources, improve supervision, promote the legislative process of a law on the social assistance in the future.

In May 2014, a regulation on social assistance which calls for open, fair and timely aid for the needy took effect.

The rules detail a minimum level of living standards, support for extremely poor people, assistance for people affected by disasters, medical assistance, and help in areas including education, housing and employment.