Vote on old age allowance deferred to sidestep showdown

Legco's vote on the HK$2,200 old age allowance is due to be deferred by the government after pan-democrats threatened to force an adjournment.

The Finance Committee was scheduled to vote on the funding today, but members will instead be presented with a motion to adjourn the ballot.

That motion is expected to be passed with support from pan-democrats and the Federation of Trade Unions. The Liberal Party plans to abstain.

The controversy over the old-age allowance arises from a row over plans to means-test applicants.

The pan-democrats want the government to waive the means test for those aged 70 and above, and the pro-establishment Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong wants the asset cap, currently set at HK$186,000, to be raised.

Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was standing firm yesterday. After a meeting with nine DAB lawmakers, she said: "There is no room to adjust the requirement of income and asset declaration nor increase the income and asset caps."

Lam said that the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau had written to the Finance Committee chairman, Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, a member of the Liberal Party, earlier in the day to request the committee hold a special meeting on or before Tuesday to vote on the funding.