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The standard payment rates under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme and the rates of Old Age Allowance (OAA), Old Age Living Allowance (OALA), Disability Allowance (DA) and the Guangdong (GD) Scheme under the Social Security Allowance (SSA) Scheme will be adjusted this month (June), with retrospective effect from February 1 this year.
A spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said today (June 22) that the Legislative Council had passed the Appropriation Bill 2015 on May 28, including the proposal to increase by 4.7 per cent the standard payment rates under the CSSA Scheme and the rates of OAA, OALA, DA and the GD Scheme under the SSA Scheme (see Annex) based on the established adjustment mechanism, i.e. according to the movement of the Social Security Assistance Index of Prices. The above adjustment will take retrospective effect from February 1. Back payment will be issued on June 24 at the earliest through the existing CSSA or SSA payment method, that is, normally through bank payment credited to the designated bank accounts.
"An additional expenditure of around $1.6 billion per year will be incurred for the adjustment, benefiting around 1.2 million recipients currently on CSSA or SSA," the spokesman said.
CSSA and SSA recipients who have enquiries may contact their respective social security field units or call the SWD hotline at 2343 2255.
Ends/Monday, June 22, 2015
Issued at HKT 14:04
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