Hunger for food handouts grows in spite of economic recovery

St James' Settlement says it needs more space to cope with a flood of donations

Hong Kong needs a bigger charity food bank to cope with a soaring number of people seeking handouts, despite signs of an economic recovery, a social welfare expert warns.

The St James' Settlement, which opened Hong Kong's first citywide charity food bank in 50 years last October, said the number of people seeking handouts had increased in three months from 50 people a day to more than 80.

Hong Kong's seasonally adjusted jobless rate for the three months to November fell to 7.5 per cent from 8 per cent in October - the biggest drop in 20 years.

But Wong Chack-kei, of the department of social work at Chinese University, said: 'Many people are still living in poverty, especially unskilled workers and middle-aged and elderly people. Those people are in an inferior position in the labour market and have not benefited from the economic recovery. It may explain why there is a rise in people seeking free food.'

St James' Settlement service manager Wong Hung-sang warned more people, especially new migrants, would use the free food service, after the government tightened its eligibility rules for Comprehensive Social Security Assistance. From January 1, new migrants have to have lived in Hong Kong for seven years, instead of one, to qualify for social security assistance.