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Poverty
Hong KongSociety

Pan-democrats call for pro-Beijingers’ help to vote down Hong Kong government’s budget, demanding reversal of age limit rise for elderly benefit

  • Chief Executive Carrie Lam drew legislators’ ire with move to raise eligibility age for the elderly CSSA scheme from 60 to 65
  • But one pro-establishment lawmaker says his camp will not join opposition to demand reversal

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The government says people are working until later in life. Photo: Sam Tsang
Peace ChiuandElizabeth Cheung

Pan-democrat lawmakers on Friday threatened to vote against next month’s budget and urged the pro-establishment camp to join them if the government does not pull its plan to raise the lower age limit on an elderly cash benefit.

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This came as a heated row raged between the city leader and legislators across the political spectrum over the rise in the age limit for the elderly comprehensive social security assistance (CSSA) scheme from 60 to 65.
Earlier in the week Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, 61, angered the public when she said the adjustment was reasonable in view of the city’s improved life expectancy and the global trend of people working past 60, citing herself as an example.

But one recruitment insider said on Friday most of the city’s private companies had a retirement age of 60.

Coming into effect on February 1, the change will mean new applicants aged between 60 and 64 would get close to a third less in government payments than people of the same age who are currently on the scheme, which is intended to help meet basic needs.

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“The pan-democrat camp sincerely invites pro-establishment lawmakers to request that Lam cancel the new age limit for the elderly CSSA,” lawmaker Claudia Mo Man-ching, convenor of the pro-democracy camp, said. “If not, we will vote against the upcoming budget.”

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