BEIJING, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government took concrete measures in 2018 to ensure social welfare for the most disadvantaged people living under the poverty line, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The ministry has earmarked 2.25 billion yuan (about 335 million U.S. dollars) of its welfare lottery fund for 22 most poverty-stricken provincial areas, accounting for 80 percent of the total earmarked amount in 2018, said a statement from the ministry.

The ministry has improved welfare of the severely ill or disabled by granting them an individual living allowance on top of their family plans.

So far, minimum living allowances across the country have reached or surpassed the national poverty alleviation standard.

Other measures include sending professional social workers to poverty-stricken areas, enhancing protection of unsupervised "left-behind" children and disabled senior citizens and improving community governance.

China aims to lift all rural residents living below the current poverty line out of poverty by the year 2020.

In the new year, the ministry vowed to continue poverty alleviation among those most in need and punish those with violations including dereliction of duties, corruption and undesirable work styles.