‘Totally unacceptable’: Hong Kong social welfare sector hits out at decision to halt one-off living allowance
Lawmaker-elect says there is no reasonto scrap the allowance now as the living standard of low-income people should be protected
The term refers to a specific group of low-income people who do not own property, do not live in public rental housing and do not receive Comprehensive Social Security Assistance.
A total of 59,000 households comprising around 143,000 people had benefited from the scheme as of August 12, receiving a total of HK$512 million.
He was referring to the removal of waivers for public housing rents in this year’s budget. The one-off allowance was originally intended to fill the gap in helping the N-nothings, who did not benefit from budget sweeteners.
The fund and the Commission on Poverty both agreed with the decision, Law said.
But Shiu Ka-chun, the lawmaker-elect representing the social work sector, was unconvinced by the move.