Old Age Living Allowance

A A A | 简体 | 繁體

Purpose
Eligibility Criteria & Application Procedures
FAQs
Press Releases
Enquiries

Purpose

Old Age Living Allowance (OALA) under the Social Security Allowance Scheme is designed to provide a special monthly allowance to supplement the living expenses of Hong Kong elderly people aged 65 or above who are in need of financial support. The current monthly payment of OALA is $4,250.

Back to Table of Contents

Eligibility criteria

A person is eligible for Old Age Living Allowance (OALA) if he/she:

is aged 65 or above;
has been a Hong Kong resident for at least seven years and has resided in Hong Kong continuously for at least one year immediately before the date of application (absence from Hong Kong up to a maximum of 90 days during the one-year period is treated as residence in Hong Kong);
is having an income and assets not exceeding the prescribed limits (see below table); and
is not in receipt of Old Age Allowance (OAA) or Disability Allowance (DA) under the Social Security Allowance Scheme or assistance under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme.

For details and other eligibility criteria of OALA, please refer to the Social Security Allowance Scheme.

Income and Asset Limits for OALA

The prescribed income and asset limits for OALA are listed below:

		Single person⁽¹⁾	Married couple⁽²⁾
OALA	Total income per month (with effect from 1 February 2025)	$10,770	$16,440
OALA	Total asset value (with effect from 1 February 2025)	$406,000	$616,000

"Income" includes wages from employment; income from handiwork, business, etc. (including salaries, wages, monthly commissions or bonuses received, and monthly income from self-employment); retirement benefits/pensions; net income on rentals collected; and payout from the annuity scheme(s)⁽³⁾. Contributions from family members, relatives or friends, and monthly payments received under the Reverse Mortgage Programme (RMP) (only applicable to the RMP where the property as collateral is an owner-occupied property) and the Policy Reverse Mortgage Programme are excluded, but any unspent and accumulated amount of savings/cash in hand generated will be treated as "assets".

"Assets"⁽⁴⁾ include land and non-owner-occupied properties⁽⁵⁾, cash in hand, bank savings, investments in stocks and shares (including bonds, trust fund, interest in any business of sole proprietorship, partnership or firms/limited companies and accrued retirement benefits⁽⁶⁾), vehicle for commercial use/investment (e.g. taxi and public light bus) and its business licence, and gold bars and gold coins, etc. Owner-occupied property⁽⁵⁾, columbarium niche for self-use in future, and the cash value of insurance schemes are excluded.

"Income and Asset Limits for Single Person" are applicable to an applicant whose marital status is "Never Married", "Separated", "Divorced" or "Widowed". The applicant is only required to provide his/her personal particulars and information on his/her own income and assets.

"Income and Asset Limits for Married Couples" are applicable to an applicant whose marital status is "Married" or "Cohabiting"^(Note). The applicant is required to provide his/her spouse's/cohabiting partner's personal particulars and information on income and assets.
^(Note): Only applicable to cases where the applicant (i) is currently living with a cohabiting partner in the same household; (ii) is living on shared resources with the cohabiting partner; and (iii) agrees to provide the personal and financial information of the cohabiting partner to the Social Welfare Department (SWD), regardless of whether the applicant's cohabiting partner is/is not currently receiving the Old Age Living Allowance (OALA)/other allowance. Such application will be subject to the means test assessment based on the "Financial Resource Limits for Married Couples".

Annuity Schemes include "HKMC Annuity Plan" launched by HKMC Annuity Limited and other annuity schemes in the market. The payout under the annuity scheme(s) provided on a regular basis (normally on a monthly basis) is counted as income. If the regular payout is provided on quarterly, half-yearly or yearly basis, it will be apportioned according to the number of months covered as the monthly income. However, the pre-surrender value of the annuity scheme(s) will be disregarded under the asset test. The surrender value (if any) after surrendering the annuity scheme(s) will be counted as assets.

Including those in Hong Kong, Macao, the Mainland or overseas separately or jointly owned by the applicant and/or his/her spouse/cohabiting partner (if applicable) or jointly owned with other person(s).

Properties include real estate and parking space of any use in and outside Hong Kong. Only the value of one residential property which is the principal place of residence in Hong Kong and one parking space for self-use are regarded as "owner-occupied properties" and are disregarded under the asset test. Other real estate and parking space separately or jointly owned by the applicant and/or his/her spouse/cohabiting partner (if applicable) or jointly owned with other person(s) are regarded as "non-owner-occupied properties" and should be taken into account for assessment of "assets".

Accrued retirement benefits refer to the retirement benefits currently held in Mandatory Provident Fund ("MPF") Scheme(s) or other retirement scheme(s). The estimated total amount of such accrued benefits is based on information on the latest benefit statement(s) issued by MPF trustee(s) or other retirement schemes trustee(s)/administrator(s) or information obtained through other relevant documents. For applicant's spouse/cohabiting partner (if applicable) aged below 65, the accrued retirement benefits (only applicable to the accrued retirement benefits derived from mandatory contributions and tax deductible voluntary contributions) of the spouse/cohabiting partner are disregarded under the asset test while the monthly mandatory contributions to MPF Scheme(s) or other retirement scheme(s) are disregarded under the income test. However, the accrued retirement benefits withdrawn are treated as assets.

Eligibility Check
Eligibility Check of Application for Social Security Allowance Scheme

Application procedures

For an applicant not in receipt of any allowances, he/she or his/her relative/friend can make an application for OALA directly to the respective social security field unit for the place of residence of applicant by phone, by fax, by e-mail, by post, by online form or in person. An application may also be made through a referral to the SWD by another government department or a non-governmental organisation. The applicant can check the information of the social security field unit and download the "Social Security Allowance Application Form" and "Application for Social Security Allowance Guidance Notes" from the SWD website (https://www.swd.gov.hk) and return the completed application form together with photocopies of relevant supporting documents to the respective social security field unit by post or in person.

Back to Table of Contents

"Grace period" arrangement
Disabled Recipients
Medical Fee Waiving Arrangement

New Application

What are the eligibility criteria for applying the Old Age Living Allowance (OALA)?
To be eligible for OALA, OALA applicant’s income and assets must not exceed the prescribed income and asset limits and he/she must meet other eligibility criteria.

The income and asset limits as well as monthly payment rates of OALA are listed below:

		Single person	Married couple	Monthly payment rate
OALA	Total income per month (with effect from 1 February 2025)	$10,770	$16,440	$4,250
OALA	Total asset value (with effect from 1 February 2025)	$406,000	$616,000	$4,250

Other eligibility criteria:

be aged 65 or above;

have been a Hong Kong resident for at least seven years and have resided in Hong Kong continuously for at least one year immediately before the date of application (absence from Hong Kong up to a maximum of 90 days during the one-year period is treated as residence in Hong Kong);

continues to reside in Hong Kong during receipt of payment;

be not in receipt of Old Age Allowance, Disability Allowance or Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA); and

not being detained in legal custody or admitted to a penal institution.

How can elderly persons apply for the OALA? What supporting documents are required for making application? Is it necessary to submit the relevant supporting documents together with the completed application form?
An applicant can apply by phone / fax / e-mail / post / online form, through referral by other government departments / other non-governmental organisations, or submit the application in person to the respective social security field unit for the place of residence of applicant. The applicant can also check the information of the social security field unit and download the "Social Security Allowance Application Form" (application form) and guidance notes from the SWD's website, and return the completed and signed application form together with photocopies of relevant supporting documents to the respective social security field unit by post or in person. Upon receipt of an application, SWD will arrange for a staff to interview the applicant for processing the application. Supporting documents required for application during interview are listed below -
- Hong Kong Identity Card and travel documents of the applicant;
- document of the applicant’s bank account; and
- identity document of the applicant's spouse / cohabiting partner (only applicable to an applicant whose marital status is "Married" or "Cohabiting"^(Note))
  
  ^(Note) Only applicable to cases where the applicant (i) is currently living with a cohabiting partner in the same household; (ii) is living on shared resources with the cohabiting partner; and (iii) agrees to provide the personal and financial information of the cohabiting partner to the SWD, regardless of whether the applicant's cohabiting partner is/is not currently receiving the OALA / other allowance. Such application will be subject to the means test assessment based on the "Financial Resource Limits for Married Couples".

Can I authorise another person to make an application on my behalf?
The applicant can authorise another person to make an application on his / her behalf. After receiving the application, however, SWD will arrange for a staff to interview the applicant to verify his / her eligibility.

How can elderly persons obtain an application form?
Application form and guidance notes can be downloaded from SWD's website and are also available at social security field units over the territory.

I applied for OALA before and was found ineligible for the allowance since my income and / or assets exceeded the prescribed limits. How can I re-apply for OALA in future?
An applicant can make a re-application by fax / e-mail / post / online form, through referral by other government departments / other non-governmental organisations, or submit the application in person to the respective social security field unit for the place of residence of applicant. The applicant can check the information of the social security field unit and download the application form and guidance notes from SWD's website, and return the completed and signed application form together with photocopies of relevant supporting documents to the respective social security field unit by post or in person. Upon receipt of an application, SWD will arrange for a staff to interview the applicant for processing the application.

Under what circumstances are applicants required to provide information on their spouse's / cohabiting partner's personal particulars, income and assets?
If an applicant's marital status is "Married" or "Cohabiting" (See Note of Q&A 2), the applicant is required to provide his / her spouse's / cohabiting partner's personal particulars as well as information on his / her spouse's / cohabiting partner's income and assets, regardless of whether his / her spouse / cohabiting partner is receiving OALA / other allowance.

If an applicant's marital status is "Never Married", "Separated", "Divorced" or "Widowed", he / she is only required to provide his / her personal particulars and information on his / her own income and assets.

If either my or my spouse's / cohabiting partner's income and / or assets have exceeded the prescribed limits, can one of us apply for OALA while the other one apply for Old Age Allowance (OAA)?
Persons whose marital status is "Married" or "Cohabiting" (See Note of Q&A 2) must be assessed on the basis of the "Financial Resources Limits for Married Couples" to determine whether they pass the means test. If the income and / or assets of the applicant and his / her spouse / cohabiting partner or one of them has / have exceeded the prescribed limits, they will not be eligible for OALA. However, if they are aged 70 or above, they can apply for the non-means-tested OAA.

Can the applicant still receive OAA if he / she is not eligible for OALA because his / her income and / or assets have exceeded the prescribed limits?
Applicants aged 70 or above can apply for the non-means-tested OAA. On the other hand, if an applicant and his / her spouse / cohabiting partner (if applicable) can meet the prescribed income and assets limits of OALA in future, he / she may apply for OALA by that time.

What is the reference date for determining the amount of the applicant's and his / her spouse's / cohabiting partner's (if applicable) income and assets?
The reference date for determining the amount of the applicant's and his / her spouse's / cohabiting partner's (if applicable) income and assets is the date of completing the application form (i.e., the date entered into the application form).

How should applicants declare their and / or their spouse's / cohabiting partner's (if applicable) income if their monthly income is unstable?
If an applicant and / or his / her spouse / cohabiting partner (if applicable) has / have unstable income, the applicant is only required to declare the income earned at the time of completing the application form.

What can the applicant do if he / she is unable to find someone to be his / her witness for completing the application form?
If an applicant has difficulty in completing the items of "Signature / Thumbprint of witness" and "Name of witness" in the application form, the applicant may submit the form without completing the particulars of the witness. SWD will contact the applicant for confirmation of the relevant information as necessary.

For current recipients of OAA / Disability Allowance (DA) / Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA), will they be granted OAA, DA or CSSA at the same time if they switched to receiving OALA?
According to the existing provision, elderly persons receiving OALA will not be granted OAA, DA or CSSA at the same time.

Case Review

Why does SWD conduct regular review on OALA cases?
OALA is a non-contributory social security scheme entirely funded by government general revenue, which aims to supplement the living expenses of Hong Kong elderly persons aged 65 or above with financial needs. To be eligible for OALA, an applicant must satisfy the prescribed eligibility criteria, including income and asset requirements. SWD will conduct regular reviews for all OALA recipients to ascertain recipients' continued eligibility for OALA. Moreover, to prevent fraud and abuse of public funds, SWD also conducts data matching periodically / on need basis with other government departments, banks and relevant organisations (including the Immigration Department, Treasury, Correctional Services Department, Land Registry, Companies Registry, Hospital Authority, Transport Department and HKMC Annuity Limited, etc.) to verify the information provided by the recipients / appointees. Recipients / appointees should fully cooperate with SWD staff.

How will SWD conduct the review on OALA cases?
Based on a six-year review cycle, every OALA recipient is subject to a Full Review (through office interviews or home visits as necessary) and a Postal Review in each review cycle.

What does a Full Review involve?
SWD will issue an OALA Case Review Notification Letter, enclosing a Notice to OALA Recipients under the Social Security Allowance Scheme and an OALA Review Form to the recipients / appointees inviting them to attend an office interview to review the financial conditions of the recipients. Upon receipt of the Case Review Notification Letter, the recipients / appointees should declare the recipients' income and / or assets and that of the recipients' spouse / cohabiting partner (if applicable) by completing the OALA Review Form and return the completed and signed OALA Review Form to SWD when attending the office interview with SWD staff. The recipients / appointees should also bring along the documentary proof of the recipients' income and / or assets and that of the recipients' spouse / cohabiting partner (if applicable) to the interview for verification. An interview will be conducted through home visits for recipients / appointees who are infirmed or have mobility problem.

What does a Postal Review involve?
SWD will issue an OALA Postal Review Notification Letter, enclosing a Notice to OALA Recipients under the Social Security Allowance Scheme, an OALA Postal Review Form and a return envelope to the recipients / appointees advising them details of the Postal Review. Upon receipt of Postal Review Notification Letter, the recipients / appointees should declare the recipients' income and / or assets and that of the recipients' spouse / cohabiting partner (if applicable) by completing the Postal Review Form and mailing the completed and signed form to the designated Post Office Box within one month from the date of issue of the notification letter by using the return envelope. Upon receipt of the Postal Review Form, SWD will, based on the information provided by the recipients / appointees, verify whether the recipients will continue to be eligible for OALA.

What should a recipient / an appointee of OALA do after receiving the Case Review Notification Letter / Postal Review Notification Letter?
After receiving the notification letter, the recipient / appointee should read carefully the Notice to OALA Recipients under the Social Security Allowance Scheme and complete the OALA Review Form / Postal Review Form filling in the recipient's and his / her spouse's / cohabiting partner's (if applicable) personal particulars as well as information on the recipient's and his / her spouse's / cohabiting partner's (if applicable) monthly income and assets as appropriate.

Recipients / appointees receiving the Case Review Notification Letter should bring along the completed and signed OALA Review Form together with the documentary proof of income and / or assets to the office interview with SWD staff at the designated Social Security Field Unit (SSFU) according to the appointment date and time specified in the notification letter.

Recipients / appointees receiving the Postal Review Notification Letter should return the completed and signed Postal Review Form to the designated Post Office Box by post within one month from the date of issue of the notification letter by using the return envelope.

What documents should the recipients / appointees bring along to the office interview with SWD staff for the Full Review?
Recipients / appointees should bring along the completed and signed OALA Review Form when attending the office interview with SWD staff at the designated SSFU according to the appointment date and time specified in the notification letter. Recipients / appointees should also bring along the documentary proof of the recipients' income and / or assets and that of the recipients' spouse / cohabiting partner (if applicable) for verification. An interview will be conducted through home visits for recipients / appointees who are infirmed or have mobility problem.

What documents are required for the Postal Review? Are recipients / appointees required to provide any proof of income and assets?
Recipients / appointees should return the completed and signed Postal Review Form to SWD by post. SWD will contact the recipients / appointees to request them to provide documentary proof of income and / or assets for verification as and when necessary.

Can the recipient / appointee refuse to take part in the review?
Every OALA recipient is subject to a Full Review and a Postal Review in each six-year review cycle. SWD will verify whether the recipient will continue to be eligible for OALA. If the recipient / appointee refuses to take part in the Full Review or Post Review, SWD will not be able to establish the recipient's continued eligibility for OALA and will need to consider stopping the OALA payment to the recipient concerned.

Under what circumstances are recipients / appointees required to provide information on the personal particulars, income and assets of the recipient's spouse / cohabiting partner?
If a recipient's marital status is "Married" or "Cohabiting" (See Note of Q&A 2), he / she is required to provide his / her spouse's / cohabiting partner's personal particulars as well as information on his / her spouse's / cohabiting partner's income and assets, regardless of whether his / her spouse / cohabiting partner is receiving OALA / other allowance.
If a recipient's marital status is "Never Married", "Separated", "Divorced" or "Widowed", he / she is only required to provide his / her personal particulars and information on his / her own income and assets.

If the recipient is single, divorced, legally separated or widowed, the recipient / appointee is only required to provide his / her / the recipient's personal particulars and information on his / her / the recipient's income and assets.

What should I do if I am not sure whether my and my spouse's / cohabiting partner's (if applicable) income and / or assets have / has exceeded the prescribed limits?
You may refer to the definition and prescribed limits of income and assets detailed in the Notice to OALA Recipients under the Social Security Allowance Scheme attached to the notification letter. If you are still not sure, you may call the OALA Enquiry Line 3595 0130 during office hours or refer to OALA FAQs – Income and Assets in the OALA webpage.

What is the reference date for determining the amount of my and my spouse's / cohabiting partner's (if applicable) income and assets?
The reference date for determining the amount of income and assets is the date of completing the OALA Review Form / Postal Review Form.

How should recipients declare their income if their monthly income is unstable?
If a recipient and / or his / her spouse / cohabiting partner (if applicable) has / have unstable income, the recipient / appointee is only required to declare the income earned at the time of completing the OALA Review Form / Postal Review Form.

If my and my spouse's / cohabiting partner's (if applicable) income and assets have not exceeded the prescribed limits, will my eligibility for OALA be affected?
If a recipient and his / her spouse / cohabiting partner (if applicable) still meet(s) the income and assets requirements for OALA, SWD will continue to arrange payment of OALA to the recipient.

If my and my spouse's / cohabiting partner's (if applicable) income and / or assets have / has exceeded the prescribed limits, will I still be eligible for OALA?
If the income and / or assets of the recipient and those of his / her spouse / cohabiting partner (if applicable) have / has exceeded the prescribed limits of OALA, SWD will arrange to stop payment of OALA to the recipient. Any overpaid allowance must be refunded to SWD.

If recipients who are found to be no longer eligible for OALA are aged 70 or above, SWD will arrange payment of the non-means-tested OAA for them instead.

What can I do if I am unable to find someone to be my witness for completing the OALA Review Form / Postal Review Form?
If recipients / appointees have difficulty in completing the items of "Signature / Thumbprint of witness" and "Name of witness" in the OALA Review Form / Postal Review Form, they may submit the OALA Review Form / Postal Review Form without completing the particulars of the witness. SWD will contact the recipients / appointees for confirmation of relevant information as necessary.

If I fail to return the Postal Review Form to SWD before the deadline, can I still submit the form afterwards?
Recipients / appointees receiving the Postal Review Notification Letter are required to return the completed and signed Postal Review Form to SWD by post within the specified period. Otherwise, SWD will not be able to establish the recipients' continued eligibility for OALA and will need to consider stopping the OALA payment to the recipients concerned. Recipients / appointees who fail to return the Postal Review Form before the deadline should return the completed and signed form to SWD by post as soon as possible.

I have declared to have excessive income / assets at the time of completing the Postal Review Form. In future if my and my spouse's / cohabiting partner's (if applicable) income and assets can meet the prescribed limits of OALA, how can I re-apply for the allowance?
If you haven't received any allowance, you can make (re)-application of OALA by phone / fax / e-mail / post / online form, through referral by other government departments / non-governmental organisations, or submit the application in person to the respective SSFU for your place of residence. You can check the information of the social security field unit and download the application form and guidance notes from the SWD's website and return the completed and signed application form together with photocopies of relevant supporting documents to the respective SSFU by post or in person. Upon receipt of an application, SWD will arrange for a staff to interview you for processing the application.

If you are receiving OAA / DA at that time and meet the income and asset limits for OALA, you may apply for converting to receive OALA by phone, by fax, by post or by email. You can also obtain the "OALA Simplified Form" and "Notice to OALA Applicants/Recipients" at the Social Security Field Unit or download the form and the notice from SWD's website. After completing and signing the simplified form, you may return it together with photocopy(ies) of your and your spouse's / cohabiting partner's (if applicable) Hong Kong Identity Card to the respective Social Security Field Unit by post with sufficient postage affixed.

If I need to report other changes in my personal particulars (e.g. correspondence address), can I provide the updated information in the OALA Review Form / Postal Review Form or am I required to report the changes to SWD separately?
Recipients / appointees can provide personal information requiring updating in the OALA Review Form / Postal Review Form as appropriate. SWD will update the relevant information upon receipt of the form.

Income and Assets

What do income and assets include?
Income includes wages from employment, income from handiwork, business, etc. (including salaries, wages, monthly commissions or bonuses received, and monthly income from self-employment); retirement benefits/pensions; net income on rentals collected; and payout from the annuity scheme(s). While monthly or occasional contributions (including pocket money or contributions for living expenses) from family members / relatives / friends and monthly payments received under the Reverse Mortgage Programme (RMP) (only applicable to the RMP where the property as collateral is an owner-occupied property) and the Policy Reverse Mortgage Programme are excluded, any savings / cash in hand accumulated from unused or unspent amount will be treated as assets.

Assets include land and non-owner-occupied properties, cash in hand, bank savings, investments in stocks and shares (including bonds, trust fund, interest in any business of sole proprietorship, partnership or firms / limited companies and accrued retirement benefits), vehicle for commercial use/investment (e.g. taxi and public light bus) and its business licence, and gold bars and gold coins, etc. (jewellery for self-use are disregarded). Owner-occupied property, columbarium niche for future self-use and the cash value of insurance schemes are excluded. Please visit "Income and Asset Limits for OALA under Eligibility Criteria" for the details of income and assets.

What are accrued retirement benefits?
Accrued retirement benefits refer to retirement benefits currently held in Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) Scheme(s)^(Note) or other retirement scheme(s). The estimated total amount of such accrued benefits can be based on information in the latest benefit statement(s) issued by the MPF trustee(s) or other retirement schemes trustee(s) / administrator(s) or information obtained through other relevant documents. For applicant's spouse / cohabiting partner (if applicable) aged below 65, the accrued retirement benefits (only applicable to the accrued retirement benefits derived from mandatory contributions and tax deductible voluntary contributions) of the spouse / cohabiting partner are disregarded under the asset test while the monthly mandatory contributions to MPF Scheme(s) or other retirement scheme(s) are disregarded under the income test. However, the accrued retirement benefits withdrawn are treated as assets.

^(Note) According to the provisions of the MPF Scheme, once MPF members attain the retirement age of 65, they can withdraw all their accrued retirement benefits in a lump sum on their own accord.

If elderly persons transfer their assets to their family member(s) before making the declaration in order to meet the prescribed limit of assets, will they be eligible for OALA? Will they be considered as having made false declaration in future case reviews?
OALA aims at alleviating poverty and supplementing the living expenses of elderly persons with financial needs. Therefore, applicants are required to declare their and their spouse's / cohabiting partner's (if applicable) income and assets honestly. Their income and assets must not exceed the prescribed limits at the time of the declaration in order to meet the eligibility criteria.

Aiming at helping those with genuine needs, OALA has been designed to be convenient in the application and on the basis of trust. It is a matter of personal and family decision as to how elderly persons would manage their assets. Elderly persons are advised to take into account the risks involved and handle this matter carefully. If an elderly applicant intentionally withholds or omits any relevant information, he / she may have breached the law and be liable to prosecution. SWD will also duly recover any overpayment so incurred.

How will the value of assets be assessed if an applicant holds a joint account with his / her family member(s)? Are ancestral houses and columbarium niches regarded as assets? Are earnings from collecting and selling carton papers, with no proof of income, regarded as income?
Assets include those in Hong Kong, Macao, the Mainland and overseas separately or jointly owned by the applicant and / or his / her spouse / cohabiting partner (if applicable) or jointly owned with other person(s). If an applicant holds a joint account with his / her family member(s), the value of the assets concerned will generally be apportioned by half, unless both parties specify the proportional share of the assets in a joint declaration. As for properties, only the value of one residential property which is the applicant's principal place of residence in Hong Kong and one parking space for self-use are regarded as "owner-occupied properties" and are disregarded under the asset test. Other properties, including ancestral houses, separately or jointly owned by the applicant and / or his / her spouse / cohabiting partner (if applicable) or jointly owned with other person(s) are regarded as non-owner-occupied properties and should be taken into account for assessment of assets. A columbarium niche for future self-use is generally excluded from the assessment of assets.

Income / earnings generated from any kind of work undertaken by the applicant and / or his / her spouse / cohabiting partner (if applicable) should be declared.

Will contributions from relatives or friends be counted as income or assets? My mother has been living in a self-occupied flat for over 20 years. She is now 86 years old and has several hundred thousand dollars life savings which she won't use as long as she is alive. Each month she has about $6,000 for her living, with $5,000 from my younger brother and about a thousand dollar of "fruit money". Will she be eligible for the OALA?
Contributions (including pocket money or contributions for living expenses) from family members, relatives or friends are not counted as income under the OALA. However, contributions (including pocket money or contributions for living expenses) accumulated as savings will be regarded as assets. If the total value of income / assets is lower than the prescribed limits, he / she will be eligible for OALA. However, elderly persons receiving OALA will not be granted OAA (commonly known as “fruit money”) at the same time.

If a husband is over 70 years old and has personal assets, while his wife has not reached the age for application, should he declare his personal assets only?
If an applicant's marital status is "Married" or "Cohabiting" (See Note of Q&A 2), he / she should declare the income and assets of his / her spouse / cohabiting partner even if his / her spouse / cohabiting partner has not reached the age for application. Such application will be subject to the means test assessment based on the "Financial Resource Limits for Married Couples".

My mother has been an OAA recipient who does not have any income or assets. She lives with us (her sons) but we have assets. Will she be eligible for OALA?
Assessment of OALA applicants' eligibility is on the basis of a single person or married couples, but not on a household.

My mother has asked me whether SWD will find out if she withdraws all her several-hundred-thousand-dollar savings from the bank and put them in a biscuit tin?
Cash in hand is regarded as assets. Applicants should make an honest declaration of their income and assets and any deliberate non-disclosure or omission of relevant information may make them liable to prosecution. Any overpayment so involved will be duly recovered by SWD.

I live with my son who has been repaying mortgage loan for his flat. I own another flat which is on lease and collect a rental of several thousand dollars. Can I apply for OALA if my assets do not exceed the limits? What are the asset limits for a household of two?
Net income received from letting or sub-letting is regarded as income and non-owner-occupied properties are regarded as assets. If the applicant's income and assets are lower than the prescribed limits, he / she is eligible for OALA.

I will be 65 years old next year. When can I apply for OALA?
Only those who have reached 65 years old can apply and will be eligible for OALA, subject to meeting other eligibility criteria. The SWD accepts an applicant to make an application within one month prior to his /her reaching the qualifying age (i.e. the 65th birthday) for the allowance. Under this arrangement, the date the applicant reaching the qualifying age for OALA is regarded as the date of application. The payment will be calculated from the date the applicant fulfils the qualifying age and satisfies all the eligibility criteria.

Is the cash value of insurance schemes regarded as assets? If the personal savings are used for acquiring insurance, will such amount of savings be excluded from assets?
The cash value of insurance of OALA recipients is disregarded in the asset test. This is based on the existing simple declaration mechanism of income and assets for the convenience of elderly persons. It also takes into consideration that the insurance policies acquired by elderly persons with financial needs are mostly under the categories of life, medical or critical illness insurance, etc. The cash value (including dividend or bonus, etc.) of such insurance, which have to be accumulated over a long period of time for contingency use. It is therefore not counted as assets. However, if the insurance schemes owned by the applicant and/or his/her spouse/cohabiting partner (if applicable) do not involve insurance elements of the above, the cash value of the insurance schemes will be counted as assets according to the categories of assets (e.g. investments or savings).

Are parking spaces of the properties included as assets? Is the rent received from parking spaces part of the income?
Parking spaces are part of properties. Same as owner-occupied properties, a parking space for self-use will not be counted as assets. But for a parking space being leased out, its value will be included as assets and the net rent received will also be included as income.

Are items kept in a safe deposit box regarded as assets?
All items belonging to the six listed categories of assets (e.g. cash in hand, bank savings, investments in stocks and shares, gold bars and gold coins, etc.) kept in a safe deposit box are also be regarded as assets.

If an elderly person has participated in the Reverse Mortgage Scheme, will the monthly payments generated from reverse mortgage be regarded as income?
Payments received under the Reverse Mortgage Scheme will not be counted as income under the Normal OALA / Higher OALA.

I have gold tooth / teeth as well as some jade jewellery and ornaments. Are they regarded as assets?
Gold tooth / teeth and personal ornaments (including gold jewellery, jade jewellery, etc.) can be excluded from being counted as assets.

How will the value of investment in shares, foreign currencies, gold bars and other assets be calculated?
If the applicant has investment in shares, foreign currencies, gold bars and other assets, the average selling price [i.e. (the highest + the lowest) / 2] quoted on the last transaction day immediately preceding the date of application for OALA should be taken into account as value of the assets. The applicant may also make reference to the latest bank statement / statement of securities (if appropriate) issued on the nearest day before the date of application.

How will the value of assets be assessed if an applicant holds a joint account with his / her family member(s) and the assets are not apportioned by half? How should both parties declare the proportional share of the assets when completing the Application Form?
If an applicant holds a joint account with his / her family member(s) and the assets are not apportioned by half, both parties are required to specify the proportional share of the assets in a joint and duly signed declaration. The account number and total assets value of the concerned joint account as well as the proportional share of the assets of both parties should be clearly listed out in the declaration. The applicant should return the completed Application Form together with the signed declaration to SWD.

Treatment of Annuity Scheme

Will the premium payment (paid in a lump-sum or by instalments) placed with an annuity scheme and the payout (normally on a monthly basis) under the annuity scheme be counted in the financial test of OALA?
The payout provided under the annuity scheme will be counted as monthly income under OALA, while the one-off lump-sum or instalment premium payment placed with the annuity scheme will not be counted as asset. However, if a recipient surrenders or partially surrenders the policy under the annuity scheme, the surrender value (if any) will be regarded as asset.

If an elderly person has participated in an annuity scheme, can he/she apply for OALA?
Whether to participate in any annuity scheme is a matter of personal decision of elderly persons. Please refer to Q&A 48 for the treatment of relevant resources for elderly persons who have participated in annuity scheme.

For example, a singleton male elderly person aged 65 receives a pension of $2,500 per month (his only source of income) and has an asset of $600,000 (according to the definition of assets under OALA). If he chooses to place $500,000 with an annuity scheme, he will receive a payout of about $2,900 per month from the annuity scheme (Note). Since his asset level will become $100,000 after participating in the annuity scheme (the one-off lump-sum premium payment of $500,000 placed with the annuity scheme is not counted as asset) and his total monthly income will be about $5,400 (i.e. monthly pension $2,500 + monthly payout of $2,900 under the annuity scheme), he meets the asset and income limits of OALA (i.e. asset at $406,000 and monthly income at $10,770 for elderly singleton). Subject to meeting other eligibility criteria (including the residence requirements), he will be eligible for OALA (currently at $4,250 per month).

Note: The return rate is estimated with reference to the HKMC Annuity Plan of the HKMC Annuity Limited.

For elderly persons who subscribe the HKMC Annuity Plan and the other annuity products operated by private sectors at the same time, how would the payouts and one-off lump-sum or instalment premium payment be counted under OALA?
Please refer to Q&A 48. In simple terms, if an elderly person participates in more than one annuity scheme, the payouts under the schemes will be counted as his/her monthly income in an aggregated manner, while the one-off lump-sum or instalment premium payment under the schemes will not be counted as asset.

If the regular payout is not paid on a monthly basis, how would it be calculated as income under OALA?
If the payout is provided quarterly, half-yearly or yearly, etc., the amount has to be apportioned according to the number of months covered and counted as the monthly income starting from the month following the date of receipt. For instance, if an elderly person receives a payout of $24,000 on a half-yearly basis in June 2018, the amount ($24,000) will be apportioned into six months, i.e. $4,000 per month for the six-month period starting from July 2018. Elderly persons should make honest declaration of their monthly income and asset situation and those of their spouse / cohabiting partner (if applicable). Otherwise, all payments granted on the basis of incorrect declarations will be taken as overpayment and will be duly recovered.

For elderly couples, is it a requirement that both the husband and wife have to participate in the annuity scheme for the one-off lump-sum or instalment premium payment to be excluded from OALA's asset test?
If an OALA applicant's marital status is "Married" or "Cohabiting" (See Note of Q&A 2), he / she should declare his / her income and asset and those of his / her spouse / cohabiting partner even if his / her spouse / cohabiting partner has not yet reached the age of 65. The SWD will assess whether the applicant meets the relevant income and asset requirements based on the "Financial Resource Limits for Married Couples". Whether the applicant and his / her spouse / cohabiting partner or just one party participate(s) in annuity scheme, the arrangements set out under Q&A 48 will apply.

If an elderly person surrenders the annuity scheme, will his/her eligibility for OALA be affected?
If an elderly person surrenders or partially surrenders the annuity scheme, the surrender value (if any) will be treated as asset. Under such circumstances, he / she should immediately report the changes to SWD. If the total asset value of the elderly person and his / her spouse / cohabiting partner (if applicable) exceeds the prescribed limits, he/she will not be eligible for OALA. Elderly persons should make honest declaration of their monthly income and asset situation and those of their spouse/cohabiting partner (if applicable). Otherwise, all payments granted on the basis of incorrect declarations will be taken as overpayment and will be duly recovered.

"Grace Period" arrangement

What is the "grace period" under the OALA?
The "grace period" is a treatment under which the case status is assumed to have no change during the year immediately after a recipient is granted OALA. This means that any subsequent changes in the recipient's circumstances resulting in excessive income and / or assets which may affect the recipient's eligibility for the allowance can be disregarded within the "grace period" of 12 full months counting from the date of eligibility. Simply speaking, payments made to the recipient will not be affected even if his / her income and / or assets and those of his / her spouse / cohabiting partner (if applicable) has / have thereafter exceeded the prescribed limits during the "grace period". However, if the recipient is found to have made false or incorrect declaration of income and / or assets at the time of application such that he / she is eligible for OALA, any allowance paid will be regarded as overpayment and should be duly returned to SWD.

How is the 12-month "grace period" determined?
The 12-month "grace period" refers to the 12-month period counting from the date of eligibility for OALA. For example, if the recipient is eligible for OALA on 1 September 2022, the 12-month "grace period" will be from 1 September 2022 to 31 August 2023 inclusive. During the "grace period", any subsequent changes in the recipient's circumstances resulting in excessive income and / or assets which may affect his / her eligibility for the allowance can be disregarded.

What should I do if in future my income / assets has / have exceeded the prescribed limits after the "grace period"?
If, in future, your and your spouse's / cohabiting partner's (if applicable) income and / or assets has / have exceeded the prescribed limits after the "grace period", you should immediately report such change(s) to the Social Security Field Unit concerned for re-assessing your continued eligibility for OALA.

Disabled Recipients

Can an applicant who meets the eligibility criteria for both the DA and OALA receive both allowances at the same time?
According to the existing provision, applicants can only choose to apply for one of the allowances under the Social Security Allowance (SSA) Scheme (including OAA, DA and OALA) and should not be in receipt of CSSA at the same time. This provision aims to prevent double welfare benefit and ensure the sustainability of the non-contributory social security system.

Following the above question, can a taxpayer claim Disabled Dependant Allowance if he / she maintains a dependant who chooses to receive OALA? Will the SWD facilitate the claim for Disabled Dependant Allowance by furnishing the taxpayer with documentary proof?
When an elderly person who is certified to be severely disabled and eligible for DA chooses to receive OALA, SWD will consider him / her to be an OALA recipient. During the period of his / her receipt of the respective allowance, SWD will not arrange medical assessment for him / her to ascertain his / her eligibility for DA.

According to the information on claiming Disabled Dependant Allowance on the homepage of the Inland Revenue Department (IRD), if the dependants have applied to SWD for DA, taxpayers can provide IRD with the casefile reference of their dependants in applying for DA for reviewing the claim for Disabled Dependant Allowance. If the dependants have not applied for DA (including those eligible for DA but chooses to receive OALA), IRD will not refuse the claim for Disabled Dependant Allowance on the ground that dependants eligible for DA have not actually applied for DA or the dependants choose to receive OALA. However, in reviewing the claim, IRD may require the taxpayer to submit a Medical Assessment Report issued by the Director of Health or the Chief Executive, Hospital Authority or a registered medical practitioner of a private hospital, certifying that the disabling condition is assessed in accordance with the definition under the CSSA Scheme or SSA Scheme in order to substantiate the dependant's eligibility for DA in the relevant year. IRD will accept such Medical Assessment Report as evidence for the purpose of claiming Disabled Dependant Allowance (for details, please refer to IRD's homepage at http://www.ird.gov.hk/eng/faq/all.htm). To facilitate taxpayer to submit a proper Medical Assessment Report to substantiate his / her Disabled Dependant Allowance claim during the review, IRD will send a review letter together with a medical assessment form (which is same as the form used by SWD in processing DA claims) to the taxpayer. It is not necessary for the taxpayers to request SWD to arrange for their dependants to convert to DA or issue a medical assessment form afresh.

Medical Fee Waiving Arrangement

How can the eligible OALA recipients obtain free medical services?
With effect from 1 September 2022, the Normal OALA and the Higher OALA merge as the “Old Age Living Allowance”. With effect from that date, OALA recipients aged 75 or above are entitled to the waiver of medical charges at public clinics or hospitals (including the Accident & Emergency Department) in Hong Kong. When they visit public hospitals or clinics, they only need to inform the staff of public clinics or hospitals of their eligibility status of OALA and present the identity document which they used to apply for the allowance (e.g. Hong Kong Identity Card or Certificate of Exemption, etc.). The staff of the public clinics or hospitals will confirm their eligibility through the on-line medical waiver eligibility checking system and arrange medical fee waiving for them. The waiver will cover fees and charges of inpatient service, accident and emergency service, specialist outpatient clinic, general outpatient clinic, day hospital, community service, injection and dressing services, and also the standard charge of drugs prescribed during consultation. If the recipient is unable to produce a valid identity document, staff of the hospitals or clinics may not be able to confirm his / her eligibility and the recipient will be required to pay the medical charges by himself / herself and no reimbursement to cover the medical charges paid will be made by SWD. Hence, the recipients should bring along the relevant identity document and show it to the relevant staff upon using public hospital and clinic services as and when necessary.
I am a single OALA recipient, aged 68. Can I be eligible for the medical waiver?
The age requirement for the medical waiver for standard fees and charges is 75 or above. As you have not met the age requirement, you will not be eligible for medical fee waiver even though the total value of your assets is below the prescribed limits for OALA.

I am a single OAA recipient, aged 78, can I apply for OALA and benefit from the free medical services?
If the OAA recipient’s income and assets have not exceeded the prescribed limits under the OALA, he/she can lodge an application for OALA to the social security field unit (SSFU) concerned. Upon receipt of the declarations, staff of the SSFU will verify the information provided by the recipient. The staff may, where necessary, ask the recipient for supplementary information. Upon the completion of verification and approval, if the OALA recipient is aged 75 or above, he / she can benefit from the free medical services. For more details, please refer to Q&A 59.
If the recipient has withdrawn the OALA application or is no longer eligible for OALA, does he/she continue to be eligible for medical fee waiver?
If the recipient has withdrawn the OALA application or is no longer eligible for OALA, he / she is no longer eligible for medical fee waiver.
Recipients of OAA and DA cannot benefit from the medical waiver for standard fees and charges as OALA recipients. Why?
This measure of provision of the medical fee waiver for public hospital and clinic services for older OALA recipients with more financial needs (i.e. OALA recipients aged 75 or above) aims to alleviate the burden of medical expenses on elderly persons and their families.

OALA, OAA and DA under the Social Security Allowance Scheme have different objectives and eligibility criteria. OALA is provided to eligible elderly persons to supplement their living expenses. OAA and DA are designed to provide a monthly allowance to Hong Kong residents who are 70 years of age or above or who are severely disabled to meet their special needs arising from old age or severe disability respectively. Both the allowances are non-means-tested. Given the different objectives, the target recipients of these allowances are also not the same.

To ensure that no one will be denied adequate medical care due to lack of means, the Government has all along provided medical fee waiving for the public hospitals and clinics to the needy patients. Patients who have financial difficulties in paying medical expenses can apply for a medical fee waiver at the Medical Social Services Units of public hospitals and clinics or the Integrated Family Service Centres of SWD. For details about the medical fee waiver applications and the eligibility criteria, please visit the Hospital Authority's website www.ha.org.hk.

Back to Table of Contents

Press Releases

Back to Table of Contents

Enquiries

For enquiries, please contact:

Old Age Living Allowance Enquiry Line 3595 0130

Service hours of Enquiry Line:

Monday to Friday: 8:45 am to 1:00 pm
and 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays: Closed

Departmental hotline 2343 2255

Back to Table of Contents

Last Revision Date: 31 January 2025

Service hours of Enquiry Line:
Monday to Friday:	8:45 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays:	Closed