A one-off extra allowance will be made by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) to recipients of social security payments, including recipients of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) as well as recipients of the Old Age Allowance (OAA; including the Guangdong (GD) Scheme and the Fujian (FJ) Scheme), the Old Age Living Allowance (OALA; including Normal OALA and Higher OALA) and the Disability Allowance (DA; including Normal DA and Higher DA) under the Social Security Allowance (SSA) Scheme this Friday (June 15).
A spokesman for the SWD said today (June 12) that the arrangement was one of the measures announced in the 2018-19 Budget to share the fruits of economic success with the community. Recipients who were eligible for social security payment on May 10 (the date of the passage of the Appropriation Bill 2018) will be eligible for the one-off extra allowance. For CSSA recipients, the amount of the one-off extra allowance is equivalent to two months' standard rate payable to different categories of recipients under the CSSA Scheme. Recipients of the OAA (including the GD Scheme and the FJ Scheme), the OALA (including Normal OALA and Higher OALA) and the DA (including the Normal DA and Higher DA) will receive an additional two months' allowance.
Separately, the Legislative Council has approved the funding for the Caring and Sharing Scheme. Under the Scheme, for recipients of social security payments who receive one-off extra allowance less than $4,000, the SWD will provide a "top up" payment to make up to $4,000. Specifically, the arrangement is applicable to the following social security payments in general:
| Social security payment | Category of recipients | Amount of two-month extra allowance | Difference between the two-month extra allowance and $4,000 | Total amount of allowance |
| OAA | – | $2,690 | $1,310 | $4,000 |
| Normal DA | – | $3,440 | $560 | |
| CSSA | An able-bodied adult from a CSSA family comprising three able-bodied adults/children | $3,950 | $50 | |
| An able-bodied adult from a CSSA family comprising four or more able-bodied adults/children | $3,520 | $480 | ||
| An able-bodied children from a CSSA family comprising four or more able-bodied adults/children | $3,920 | $80 |
The SWD has been allocated $7.447 billion for implementing the arrangements. The one-off extra allowance (including the "top up" payment mentioned above) will be paid through the existing CSSA or SSA payment method, i.e. normally through bank payment credited to the designated bank accounts of the recipients. Recipients are not required to make an application.
For enquiries, recipients may call the SWD hotline at 2343 2255 or contact the respective Social Security Field Unit.
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