|
 |
 |
- Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme
|
|
| Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme
The CSSA Scheme provides a safety net for those who cannot support themselves financially. It is designed to bring their income up to a prescribed level to meet their basic needs.
|
| 1. |
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for assistance, an applicant must satisfy the following conditions :
| A. |
Residence Requirement
The applicant must have been a Hong Kong resident for at least seven years.
Note:
| (1) |
Persons whose presence in Hong Kong is unlawful or persons who are permitted to stay in Hong Kong for a purpose other than residence (for example, imported workers or visitors) are excluded from the Scheme. |
| |
|
| (2) |
Hong Kong residents aged below 18 are exempted from the residence requirement. |
| |
|
| (3) |
In exceptional circumstances, CSSA may be granted at the discretion of the Director of Social Welfare to a person who does not satisfy the residence requirement. |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| B. |
Financial Tests
The applicant must pass both the income and asset tests :
- Income Test
The total assessable monthly household income of the applicant and his/her family must be insufficient to meet their total monthly needs as recognized under the Scheme.
- Asset Test
The total value of the capital assets *(including land/properties, cash, bank savings, cash value of insurance policy, investments in stocks and shares, and other readily realizable assets) held by the applicant and his/her family members must not exceed the prescribed limit.
* including those in Hong Kong, Macau, the Mainland or overseas countries/territories
|
| C. |
Additional Criteria for Able-bodied Adults
Persons aged 15-59 in normal health should actively seek full-time jobs and participate in the Support for Self-reliance Scheme of the Department if they are unemployed or working part-time or earning less than a reasonable wage as defined by the Department.
| |
| 2. |
Types of Payment
Payments can be broadly classified into three types :
|
| |
| A. |
Standard Rates
Standard rates are paid to different categories of recipients to meet their basic needs.
|
| B. |
Supplements
- Long-term Supplement
An annual long-term supplement is payable to families involving any member who is old, disabled or medically certified to be in ill-health for the replacement of household and durable goods if they have received assistance continuously for 12 months or more. The amount payable depends on the number of such eligible members in the family.
- Single Parent Supplement
A monthly single parent supplement is payable to single parent families to recognize the special difficulties which single parents face in bringing up a family.
- Community Living Supplement
A monthly community living supplement is payable to CSSA recipients who are old, disabled or medically certified to be in ill-health and who are not living in institutions to better support their stay in the community.
d. Transport Supplement
A monthly transport supplement is payable to severely disabled persons who are medically certified to be 100% disabled or in need of constant attendance and in the age group of 12 to 64 to encourage them to participate more in activities away from home, thereby enhancing their integration into society.
e. Residential Care Supplement
A monthly residential care supplement is payable to CSSA recipients who are old, disabled or medically certified to be in ill-health and who are living in non-subsidised residential care places to ease their financial burden. |
| C. |
Special Grants
Special grants are payable to meet the specific needs of applicants. They include payments to cover rent, school fees and school-related expenses, essential travelling expenses, medically-recommended diet, cost of medical and rehabilitation appliances. Able-bodied adults/children are only entitled to rent allowance, water/sewage charge allowance, grant to cover schooling expenses for children, grant to cover child-care centre fees and burial grant.
| |
| 3. |
How to Apply
A person can make an application directly to a social security field unit near to his/her place of residence by phone, by fax, by e-mail, by post or in person. An application may also be made through a referral to the Social Welfare Department by another government department or a non-governmental organization. Upon receipt of an application, staff of the Department will conduct investigation and verification of the applicant's circumstances and information provided through office interview and home visit.
|
| 4. |
Service Charge
No service charge is required
|
| 5. |
More information (downloadable)
Downloading of the materials for reading and printing can be done through the use of the Adobe(R) acrobat (R) reader software which is available free at the Adobe Systems Inc. Website. 
|
| |
| | |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|