Allowances for elderly people set to increase

Elderly people will see their "fruit money" increase by HK$50 per month next year and will pay just HK$2 to ride on green minibuses - if lawmakers cooperate.

Welfare minister Matthew Cheung Kin-chung made the announcements on his blog yesterday and said the measures would be put to lawmakers in December. He urged pan-democrat Legislative Council members to stop filibustering funding proposals in the Finance Committee.

Based on a 4.2 per cent increase in the index the allowances are linked to, the old-age allowance, available to everyone over 70 and, on a means-tested basis, to those aged 65 to 69, will rise from HK$1,180 to HK$1,230. The payment is known as "fruit money" because of the meagre sum involved. The means-tested old-age living allowance, introduced last year, will rise from HK$2,285 to HK$2,380.

Some 1.1 million people get the allowances.

The changes will take effect in February if approved. Filibustering has created a backlog of funding requests, though pan-democrats have promised to approve requests on livelihood issues and urged the government to have them debated first.

Labour Party lawmaker Cyd Ho Sau-lan was concerned elderly people would turn against pan-democrats, adding: "We are now waiting for the government to rearrange the meeting agenda ... meanwhile we can only explain … why we are filibustering."