Family misses out on budget allowances because of husband's meagre salary

The package of relief measures aimed at helping the poor may have increased by almost 80 per cent from last year to HK$6.6 billion - but not a cent is going to mother-of-two Chen Yiping.

Her family of four living in a subdivided flat will not benefit from the two extra months' worth of allowances for recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA), or funds supporting the elderly and disabled, because her husband takes home a meagre salary.

Meanwhile, the tax rebates do not apply since the family does not earn enough to pay tax.

The family is still on a public housing application waiting list after seven years. As such, the government's waiver of one month's rent for most public flat tenants - at a cost of HK$1.1 billion - doesn't help Chen.

"Yes the government is spending so much more, but still none comes to us," said Chen, 45. "Every year we don't get anything. This year it's no different ... spending more does not mean it's spent on us, I guess."

In the budget announced by Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah yesterday, HK$5.5 billion was allocated for the extra two months' worth of allowances for recipients of the CSSA, Old Age Allowance, Old Age Living Allowance and Disability Allowance. It is the first time the government has handed out two months' extra allowances since the 2008-09 fiscal year in the wake of the global financial crisis. A month's extra allowance was handed out in last year's budget.