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The Social Welfare Department (SWD) announced today (July 28) that the standard rates for adult Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients under the age of 60 with disabilities or in ill health would be increased to the same level as those for elderly CSSA recipients in similar health conditions with effect from August 1, 2011.
The new arrangement will more effectively help the adult CSSA recipients concerned to meet their special needs arising from disabilities or poor health condition.
It is a new Budget initiative announced by the Financial Secretary in February this year. Some 55 000 recipients will benefit from the increase in the monthly payment by 10 per cent to 23 per cent, depending on their CSSA categories (see Annex).
The Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved in late May an additional recurrent expenditure of about $328 million per year to put the new arrangement in place.
To further enhance assistance to persons with disabilities or in ill health as well as the elderly, the Financial Secretary also announced in his Budget that the community living supplement currently payable to severely disabled CSSA recipients would be extended to cover recipients with disabilities at non-severe levels, recipients in ill health and elderly people not living in institutions. The rate of the monthly supplement would also be increased from the current $120 to $250. The SWD will implement this initiative in October this year. Some 190 000 recipients will benefit from the new arrangement with an additional recurrent expenditure of about $590 million per year.
"These twin measures underline the Government's commitment to improving the well-being of the disadvantaged in the social security net," the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, said.
"Together, they will result in increased spending of over $900 million a year and benefit more than 200 000 CSSA recipients, covering the elderly, persons with disabilities and those in ill health."
For enquiries, please call the SWD's social security field units or its hotline at 2343 2255, or visit the SWD homepage at www.swd.gov.hk.
Ends/Thursday, July 28, 2011
Issued at HKT 15:01
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