OBJECTIVES
3.1
Social security in Hong Kong aims to meet the basic and special needs of members of the community who are in need of financial or material assistance.
SERVICE PROVISION
3.2
This objective is achieved through a non-contributory social security system administered by SWD. It comprises the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme, Social Security Allowance (SSA) Scheme, Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation (CLEIC) Scheme, Traffic Accident Victims Assistance (TAVA) Scheme and Emergency Relief. Elderly CSSA recipients who meet the prescribed criteria can continue to receive cash assistance under the CSSA Scheme if they choose to retire permanently in Guangdong or Fujian Province in Mainland China. In addition, the Social Security Appeal Board, an independent body, handles appeals against SWD's decisions on social security issues.
3.3
Under the CSSA Scheme, the Support for Self-reliance Scheme aims to encourage and assist employable CSSA recipients to take up employment and become self-reliant. The Scheme consists of two components:
- The Integrated Employment Assistance Programme for Self-reliance (IEAPS) : provision of one-stop, integrated employment assistance services on family basis by NGOs commissioned by SWD to help employable able-bodied CSSA recipients find jobs.
- Disregarded earnings : provision of an incentive by disregarding part of their income to encourage recipients to undertake employment while on CSSA.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PERIOD
TARGETED EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR VARIOUS GROUPS OF EMPLOYABLE CSSA RECIPIENTS
3.4
To promote the concept of “from welfare to work”, SWD continued to strengthen employment assistance services for various groups of employable CSSA recipients to help them return to the workforce. In 2011-12 and 2012-13, SWD continued to operate the Community Work (CW) Programme and commission NGOs to operate the following schemes: (1) The Integrated Employment Assistance Scheme (IEAS) to provide employment assistance services to unemployed able-bodied CSSA recipients; (2) The Special Training and Enhancement Programme (My STEP) to provide motivational and disciplinary training to unemployed CSSA recipients aged 15 to 29; and (3) The New Dawn (ND) Project to help single parents and child carers on CSSA with the youngest child under their care aged 12 to 14 enhance their capacity for self-help and integration into the community through engagement in work.
3.5
With effect from January 2013, SWD has integrated the above programmes (i.e the CW Programme, IEAS, My STEP and the ND Project) and commissioned NGOs to operate projects under the IEAPS. The aim of the IEAPS is to provide one-stop, integrated employment assistance services on family basis to encourage and assist unemployed able-bodied CSSA recipients aged 15 to 59 and single parents and child carers on CSSA with the youngest child under their care aged 12 to 14 to overcome work barriers, enhance employability and seek employment to become self-reliant.
INCREASE IN STANDARD RATES FOR NON-ABLE-BODIED ADULTS AND ENHANCEMENT OF COMMUNITY LIVING SUPPLEMENT UNDER THE CSSA SCHEME
3.6
To enhance support for CSSA recipients with disabilities or in ill-health, the standard rates for adult CSSA recipients under the age of 60 with disabilities or in ill-health have been increased to the same level as those for elderly CSSA recipients in similar health conditions with effect from 1 August 2011. To provide better assistance to CSSA recipients living in the community, the coverage of Community Living Supplement has been extended to CSSA recipients with disabilities at non-severe levels or in ill-health and elderly recipients not living in institutions, and its rate has been adjusted upward with effect from 1 October 2011. As at 31 March 2013, the monthly rate is $275.
PROVISION OF RESIDENTIAL CARE SUPPLEMENT UNDER THE CSSA SCHEME
3.7
To help relieve the financial burden arising from charges for residential care, SWD started providing Residential Care Supplement under the CSSA Scheme for recipients aged 60 or above and recipients with disabilities or in ill-health of any age who are receiving non-subsidised residential care with effect from 1 June 2012. As at 31 March 2013, the monthly rate is $275.
PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL ONE-OFF ASSISTANCE TO SOCIAL SECURITY RECIPIENTS
3.8
To help combat the impact of inflation and rising cost of living, SWD provided one additional month of standard rate of CSSA payment for CSSA recipients and one additional month of allowance for Disability Allowance and Old Age Allowance recipients in July 2011. In July 2012, SWD also provided one additional month of standard rate of CSSA payment for CSSA recipients and one additional month of allowance for Disability Allowance recipients and Old Age Allowance recipients with the aim to help ease the pressure of the economic downturn on our community.
FRAUD PREVENTION
3.9
SWD continued its efforts to prevent and combat fraud and abuse against social security welfares. Aiming to prevent duplicate claims of public resources, data matching with the Labour Department on the provision of travel allowance for CSSA recipients has been strengthened since 2012-13.
OLD AGE LIVING ALLOWANCE
3.10
SWD actively planned to implement an Old Age Living Allowance (OALA) under the SSA Scheme starting from 1 April 2013. The new initiative aims to provide a cash allowance of $2,200 per month as an additional form of financial assistance for needy Hong Kong residents aged 65 or above to supplement their living expenses. Applications will be processed in three phases, namely: “Auto-conversion”, “Postal Submission” and “New Application”. Retrospective payment from 1 December 2012 at the earliest will be made to eligible elderly persons through auto-conversion arrangement or for applications received on or before 31 December 2013.
STATISTICS
CSSA SCHEME
3.11
As at 31 March 2012, there were 275 383 CSSA cases providing assistance to 439 216 people. The number of CSSA cases and recipients were 267 623 and 414 148 respectively as at 31 March 2013. The number of CSSA cases decreased in the past two years. Analysis of distribution of CSSA cases by nature of cases as at 31 March 2012 and 31 March 2013 respectively is shown in Chart 3 below:
3.12
A total of $19,773 million was paid out under the CSSA Scheme in 2012-13. The total expenditure for the years 2008-09 to 2012-13 is shown in Chart 4 below:
SSA SCHEME
3.13
As at 31 March 2012 and 2013, the numbers of SSA cases were 663 237 and 693 389 respectively. A breakdown of these cases by nature of cases is shown in Chart 5 below:
3.14
A total of $10,579 million was paid out under the SSA Scheme in 2012-13. The total expenditure for the years 2008-09 to 2012-13 is shown in Chart 6 below:
CLEIC SCHEME
3.15
In 2012-13, a total of $4.97 million was paid out under the CLEIC Scheme to 382 cases. The total expenditure for the years 2008-09 to 2012-13 is shown in Chart 7 below:
TAVA SCHEME
3.16
In 2012-13, a total of $193.14 million was paid out under the TAVA Scheme to 13 057 cases. The total expenditure for the years 2008-09 to 2012-13 is shown in Chart 8 below:
SOCIAL SECURITY APPEAL BOARD
3.17
Social Security Appeal Board (SSAB) is an independent body comprising seven non-officials appointed by the Chief Executive. Its main function is to consider appeals against the decisions of SWD under the CSSA, SSA and TAVA Schemes. Decisions of the Board are final.
3.18
In 2012-13, SSAB ruled on 347 appeals, including 74 CSSA cases and 273 SSA cases. The Board confirmed the decisions of SWD in 218 cases (63%) and varied its decisions in 129 cases (37%).
