Government ends living allowance for Hong Kong’s neediest, which helped 59,000 households to tune of HK$512 million this year
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Matthew Cheung says those eligible can apply for low-income working family allowance or work incentive transport subsidy
The government has ended a one-off living allowance for the city’s neediest group, dubbed “N-nothings”. The term refers to low-income people who do not own property, live in public rental housing or receive Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA).
Community Care Fund Task Force chairman Dr Law Chi-kwong told the media that the allowance offered by the public-private fund had been suspended because the original reason for establishing it had disappeared.
He was referring to the removal of waivers for public housing rents in this year’s government budget. The waivers were a contentious relief measure which had been in place since 2008, but drew complaints from the N-nothings, who did not benefit.
The fund and the Commission on Poverty both agreed with the decision, Law said.
The living allowance was launched in 2014. This year, an eligible single person was offered a one-off sum of about HK$4,000. Households of two and five received HK$8,000 and HK$14,000 respectively.
The allowance will not be available next year.