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Nearly one in three elderly persons in Hong Kong live in poverty, according to official statistics. The government’s plan to cut back on welfare payments will only exacerbate the problem. Photo: Bloomberg

Letters | Hong Kong’s over-60s struggle to find work – it’s a fact the government should recognise

  • The government’s proposal to stop giving welfare payments to those aged 60-64 will further impoverish an already vulnerable group
Poverty
I write to invite the administration to explain its argument that people aged between 60 and 65 are fit to work, which is the major reason for ceasing the provision of elderly Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) to under-65s from February 1, a proposal roundly rejected by lawmakers of all stripes yesterday (“Legco unites to formally demand elderly welfare U-turn”, January 17).
The chief executive’s initial attempt at defending this decision did not live up to her usual rational and caring stance towards the underprivileged. Her argument that this policy was approved by the Legislative Council is weak and is under fire from both pro-government and pan-democrat legislators, who voted overwhelmingly against the change across party lines, as they passed a non-binding motion moved by pro-democracy social welfare sector legislator Shiu Ka-chun.
Also, the chief executive’s casual comparison of herself to citizens aged 60, arguing that she is a telling example of the economic ability of elderly citizens, is far from convincing. Most companies have for years maintained 60 as the age for retirement and there is now a considerable number of retired citizens currently relying on the elderly CSSA. The sudden cut may not mean much to affluent officials like Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor but it means a lot to jobless and poverty-stricken senior citizens.
For example, upon announcement of the latest rise in the minimum hourly pay, some companies said they may reduce staff numbers to cope with the higher wage costs. Nearly one in three residents aged 65 and above live in poverty. The government may have underestimated the hardship of these aged citizens and the effects of this policy on families. How many of those aged between 60 and 64 can actually secure a job?
The slogan for the Carrie Lam administration was: “We listen, we care and we act.” Will those remain empty words for Hong Kong’s impoverished elderly citizens?

Ariel Wong, Tai Po

 

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