The Civil Affairs Bureau of Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, said on Tuesday that allowances mistakenly paid to 79 deceased people had been retrieved by the end of August.

Basic living allowances were paid to 79 dead people in four districts in Guangzhou, according to the audit report on the city government's budget for 2011.

The mistake was due to lack of communication between government agencies, according to the micro blog of the Civil Affairs Bureau of Guangzhou.

The bureau is building a comprehensive verification system for low-income families, and upgrading its information system.