Government to provide one-off extra allowance to recipients of Individual-based Work Incentive Transport Subsidy
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     The Government announced today (April 22) that, after the passage of the Appropriation Bill 2020, the Working Family Allowance Office (WFAO) of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency would disburse a one-off extra allowance to recipients of the Individual-based Work Incentive Transport Subsidy (I-WITS) as proposed in the 2020-21 Budget. It is expected that the extra allowance would be disbursed one month after the passage of the Bill at the earliest.

     Recipients who are eligible for the extra allowance are those whose I-WITS applications were made in the Applicable Period (i.e. from first day of the month in which the Bill is passed to the date of passage of the Bill; and six calendar months before that month), and eventually approved. For applications submitted by post, the date of the postage stamp will be taken as the application date.

     New applicants or previous recipients of the I-WITS who have yet to submit applications in the Applicable Period should submit applications before it expires (i.e. on or before the date of passage of the Bill) in order to be eligible for the extra allowance.

     The extra allowance is the average monthly amount of approved months payable to the applicants in their I-WITS applications which were most recently submitted in the Applicable Period and eventually approved.

     For enquiries, applicants may call the WFAO 24-hour hotline (2558 3000) or visit the thematic website of the I-WITS Scheme (www.iwits.gov.hk).

Ends/Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Issued at HKT 16:05

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