************************************************************
A one-off additional payment will be made to recipients of the Old Age Allowance (OAA) (including those payable under the Guangdong (GD) Scheme), Old Age Living Allowance (OALA) and Disability Allowance (DA) under the Social Security Allowance (SSA) Scheme, as well as recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA), this Friday (July 24).
A spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said today (July 20) that the move was part of a package of one-off relief measures announced by the Financial Secretary in his Budget Speech on February 25. The Finance Committee of the Legislative Council subsequently approved the allocation of $5.543 billion on June 26 for implementing the measures, following which SWD colleagues immediately swung into action on the necessary preparation work, including making adjustments to its computer system. The additional payment will be credited to the bank accounts of some 1.2 million beneficiaries this Friday.
Recipients of OAA (including those payable under the GD Scheme), OALA and DA will receive an additional two months' allowance. As for CSSA recipients, the amount of the one-off additional payment is equivalent to two months' standard rate payable to different categories of recipients (such as elderly persons, children or able-bodied adults) under the CSSA Scheme.
"The money will be paid through the existing CSSA or SSA payment method, i.e., through bank payment credited to the designated bank accounts of the recipients. Thus no additional application is required," the spokesman said.
For enquiries, recipients can call the SWD hotline on 2343 2255 or contact their respective Social Security Field Units.
Ends/Monday, July 20, 2015
Issued at HKT 16:21
NNNN