Family Of Chinese Boy Covered In Ice Refused Benefits

Story ByLee Bullen,Sub EditorJoseph Golder,AgencyAsia Wire Report 

The family of the poor Chinese boy who was snapped with his hair and eyebrows covered in ice after trekking to school in temperatures of minus 9 degrees Celsius has had their benefits application rejected.

Pictures of little Wang Fuman, dubbed ‘Ice Boy’ by international media, went viral after he walked into his school with hair like an ice hedgehog following a three-mile hike to school in freezing temperatures to sit exams.

Picture Credit: AsiaWire / Fu Heng

The story touched the hearts of many across the country with many internet users expressing sympathy for the hardships the boy, and children like him, endure to get to school.

Donations of money, warm clothes and heating flooded in, and Wang, his father Wang Gangkui and older sister Wang Fumei were invited to Beijing for a three-day trip sponsored by a Communist Party propaganda website.

The 10-year-old comes from one of China’s poorest regions and he used to walk 4.5 kilometres (2.8 miles) to reach his primary school in the mountainous county of Ludian in the southern province of Yunnan.

Picture Credit:

According to reports, the boy’s mother, who previously abandoned her family because she disliked her “poor and disappointing” husband, has recently returned to her family because she missed her children.

However, it appears as though her husband is no longer poor after he applied for impoverished household classification to help family members work as cleaners in the village.

According to local media, his application was turned down by the village director because he has two motorised vehicles and as a result, does not meet the required standards.

If awarded poverty status the family 4.833 RMB ( 521 GBP) per year in benefits along with other subsidies.

It is unclear whether the dad plans on taking further action following his application rejection.

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