Measure includes new HK$14,000 subsidy tier for households with five or more members
EMILY.TSANG@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Monday, 04 January, 2016, 3:05pm
UPDATED : Monday, 04 January, 2016, 3:10pm
The relief measures are expected to help more low-income families keep up with the demands of Hong Kong life. Photo: Xinhua
Around 72,000 families are eligible for another one-off relief measure under the Community Care Fund, the government announced today.
Other than four different tiers of subsidies offered to “N-nothing” families with one to four members, the government has created new tiers targeting families with five members or more.
Community Care Fund Task Force chairman Law Chi-kwong said: “We realised that many ethnic minorities family have more than five members.”
READ MORE: High rent, low salaries: how young Hongkongers are scheming to secure subsidised housing
This is the third time the one-off fund has offered financial relief for low-income households not living in public housing and not receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA).
One-person families with average monthly household income not exceeding $10,100 and average monthly rent not exceeding $5,050 can receive a $4,000 subsidy.
For five-or-more-person households with income not exceeding $29,050 and rent not exceeding $14,525, the subsidy amount is $14,000.
The application period begins in phases starting today, and will last until August 31.
Law said that the CCF has set aside around $655 million to implement the programme, and expected about 72,000 households, or about 175 000 persons, to benefit.
Eligible households that benefited from the programme in 2015 can receive the subsidy again.
Living Subsidy for Low-Income Households
■ 1-person households/ Income not exceeding $10,100 and rent not exceeding $5,050/ Subsidy amount $4,000
■ 2-person households/ Income not exceeding $16,140 and rent not exceeding $8,070 / Subsidy amount $8000
■ 3-person households/ Income not exceeding $21,075 and rent not exceeding $10538 / Subsidy amount $11,000
■ 4-person households/ Income not exceeding $26,475 and rent not exceeding $13,238 / Subsidy amount $13,000
■ 5-or-more-person households/ Income not exceeding $29,050 and rent not exceeding $14,525 / Subsidy amount $14,000
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1897921/fund-provide-financial-relief-72000-hong-kong
