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LCQ9: Burial Grant under CSSA
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    Following is a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, to a question by the Hon Fred Li on burial grants under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme in the Legislative Council today (November 28):

Question:

     Under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme, the deceased recipient's family member or relative/friend may apply for burial grant. The amount of the grant payable is the actual expenses after deducting donations (such as the condolence money) made by relatives/friends or the prescribed maximum level, whichever is less. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the respective numbers of applications for burial grant received and approved in each of the past three financial years; among the approved cases, the number of those in which condolence money was deducted, as well as the average and total amounts of deduction; and

(b) whether it will consider raising the maximum level of the burial grant, and abolishing the requirement to deduct donations from the grant payable; if not, of the reasons for that?

Reply:

Madam President,

     The Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme provides a safety net to meet the basic needs of those who cannot support themselves financially. It is non-contributory but means-tested. Under the CSSA Scheme, a burial grant is payable to the deceased recipient's relatives/friends to meet the burial expenses of the deceased recipient. Such expenses may include charges for the death certificate, coffin, clothing for the deceased, cremation and hiring of ritual hall etc.

     My replies to the specific questions are set out below:

(a) The respective number of applications for burial grant received and approved in each of the past three financial years as well as the total amount of expenditure involved are set out in the table below:

Financial       Number of         Burial Grant
Year           Applications          Paid
               Received and          (HK$)
                 Approved

2004/05           13 437           136 million
2005/06           12 810           130 million
2006/07           12 889           131 million
Total             39 136           397 million

     The Social Welfare Department does not keep statistics on the number of burial grant applications in which condolence money had to be deducted; nor does it have information on the actual amount deducted in such cases. In general, an overwhelming majority of the applications for burial grant received the maximum level of the grant.

(b) Under the CSSA Scheme, a burial grant is payable to meet the actual cost. The current maximum level of the grant is $10,610. The amount of the grant payable is the actual expenses after deducting the condolence money or the prescribed maximum level, whichever is less. The maximum level of the grant is pegged to the burial grant payable under the Emergency Relief Fund, which is adjusted annually in accordance with the movement of the Consumer Price Index (A). It was increased by 1.7% to $10,610 on April 1, 2007 to take account of inflation.

     Generally speaking, the current level of burial grant can sufficiently cover a basic funeral and its related expenses. As such, we will continue to adjust the maximum level of the burial grant according to the established mechanism. We have no intention of changing the existing arrangement of deducting condolence money from the burial grant.

Ends/Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Issued at HKT 14:27

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