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The Social Welfare Department has today (May 30) paid additional assistance of one month to recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) and Social Security Allowance (SSA) (including Disability Allowance and Old Age Allowance), a department spokesman said.
The spokesman said the Financial Secretary announced in his 2007-08 Budget speech a series of measures to help the disadvantaged and one of them was to provide a one-off assistance of one month's payment to recipients of CSSA and SSA.
The Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved the financial allocation in April. The department completed the enhancement of the computerised Social Security System to effect the additional payment this month.
"Beneficiaries are not required to make application for the additional assistance. Recipients who are eligible for CSSA or SSA in the month of implementation (May 2007) will benefit from the additional assistance," the spokesman said.
Beneficiaries will be granted an extra month of the standard rate of CSSA payment or an extra month of the SSA allowance. The amount of payment for CSSA recipients is equivalent to the individual recipient's or family's standard rate as applicable to different categories of recipients (such as elderly persons, children or able-bodied adults) under the CSSA Scheme. The amount of payment for SSA recipients is equivalent to one month's Disability Allowance or Old Age Allowance.
For recipients whose eligibility for assistance for May has been established, they can get the additional assistance today through the existing CSSA or SSA payment method (i.e. normally through bank payment credited to the designated bank account).
For recipients whose eligibility for May has yet to be established or reviewed, the department will arrange payment to them once their eligibility is confirmed.
For enquiries, welfare recipients can contact the department's hotline 2343 2255 or their respective social security field units.
Ends/Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Issued at HKT 16:01
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