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Wait-and-see approach on extra welfare payouts

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Alex Loin TorontoandCynthia Wan

SENIOR government officials said yesterday they would have to wait and see whether a huge amount in extra funding would be required on top of the $15.5 billion set aside for welfare handouts because of the right of abode ruling.

From the end of January, 7,500 new migrants, 14 per cent of more than 54,000 in Hong Kong for less than a year, have been receiving welfare benefits.

The 7,500 are from 4,400 families, accounting for two per cent of a total of 229,503 Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) cases at the end of last month.

About 1,700 of them are single parents with another 1,900 unemployed recipients.

Out of a total of 24,200 people on the dole, 45,000 have been in the SAR for less than seven years. Of these, about 9,700 are unemployed and a further 12,800 are single parents.

In estimates announced on Friday, the Government allocated $15.5 billion out of $29.1 billion earmarked for social services for the CSSA scheme.

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