Latest News of May 2026

The Social Welfare Department (SWD) now invites bona fide non-profit-making organisation currently operating service(s) of Home Care Services for Persons with Severe Disabilities, Integrated Support Service for Persons with Severe Physical Disabilities, Community Rehabilitation Day Centre and/or regularised ICRC subvented by the SWD as at the date of submission of proposal to submit proposal for operating ICRC(s).

Please click here for downloading the “Service Specifications” and related information/form(s).

For enquiries, please contact Mr MO Chiu-man, Social Work Officer (Rehabilitation and Medical Social Services) 19, at 3468 2526.
 

The Residential Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly (the Scheme) temporarily suspend accepting applications for joining the Scheme as a Recognised Service Provider since 1 May 2026 (Friday). The arrangement of receiving applications would be updated. The related details will be announced at appropriate time in the “What’s New” of SWD website.

For enquiries, please contact the following responsible officers of Residential Care Service Voucher Office:

The Social Welfare Department rolls out the three-year “Pilot Programme on Community Living Room” – Sai Wan Community Living Room Project, which is subsidised by the Community Care Fund. For details, please click here.

The Social Welfare Department (SWD) has earlier invited eligible non-government organisations to submit proposals for operating a new Day Activity Centre cum Hostel for Severely Mentally Handicapped Persons at Hiu Ming Street, Kwun Tong, Kowloon.  A Vetting Committee (VC) was set up for the above project to conduct assessment of the proposals.  Upon recommendation of the VC, SWD has selected Po Leung Kuk to operate the project.

Information on additional and planned places of rehabilitation services for the period of April 2026 to June 2026 has been announced.  Please download the information here.

The Social Welfare Department (SWD) earlier invited eligible non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to submit proposals to operate three new Neighbourhood Elderly Centres (NECs) at the following sites, and set up two Vetting Committee (VCs) to assess the received proposals:

1. Podium Level 2, Yip Tak House, Yip Wong Estate, No. 21 Tin Hau Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories 
2. Portion of G/F, Chiu Ming Court, 11 Chiu Shun Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories 
3. G/F, On Ying Shopping Centre, 15 On Hei Street, Sai Kung, New Territories  

Base on the recommendations of the VCs, the SWD has selected the following NGOs to operate the three aforementioned NECs respectively: 

1. Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association (Key applicant organisation) and Agent of Change Foundation (Joint applicant organisation) to operate the NEC at podium Level 2, Yip Tak House, Yip Wong Estate, No. 21 Tin Hau Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories
2. Haven of Hope Christian Service (Key applicant organisation) and Everbright Concern Action Limited (Joint applicant organisation) to operate the NEC at portion of G/F, Chiu Ming Court, 11 Chiu Shun Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories
3. Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council Limited to operate the NEC at G/F, On Ying Shopping Centre, 15 On Hei Street, Sai Kung, New Territories
    

The Social Welfare Department rolls out the three-year “Pilot Programme on Community Living Room” – Yau Ma Tei Community Living Room Project, which is subsidised by the Community Care Fund.  For details, please click here.

Flag days in 2027-28 are open for application from 15 April 2026.  The deadline for application is 6:00pm on 14 May 2026.

Enquiries can be made by telephone to 2832 4318 or 2832 4301; by fax to 2838 0441; or by email to flagday@swd.gov.hk.

The Thirteenth Tranche of the Innovation and Technology Fund for Application in Elderly and Rehabilitation Care (I&T Fund) is open for application from 13 April 2026 to 13 July 2026.  For details, please click here and refer to the invitation letter issued by the Social Welfare Department on 13 April 2026 to all eligible organisations.

The Social Welfare Department rolls out the five-year “Pilot Programme on Community Living Room” – Mong Kok Community Living Room Project, which is subsidised by the Community Care Fund. For details, please click here.

The Social Welfare Department (SWD) is accepting applications from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and primary schools to operate the 11th batch of Child Development Fund (CDF) projects starting from today (March 27).  Launched in 2008, the CDF promotes the longer-term development of children from a disadvantaged background through cross-sector collaboration among the community and family, the business sector and the Government, thereby alleviating inter-generational poverty.  Each CDF project lasts for three years and comprises three key components, including “Personal Development Plans”, “Targeted Savings” and “Mentorship”.  Training and value-added activities are also provided for the participating children, their parents and mentors to establish adequate support for the children throughout their personal development.

The 11th batch of NGO-led and School-based projects will provide approximately 4 600 places for eligible children studying Primary 3 to Primary 6 in the 2026/27 school year.  NGOs and primary schools interested in operating CDF projects may refer to the Guide on Application Procedures attached below.  Applicant NGOs/schools are required to submit the completed applications form together with the necessary supporting documents via the online form or by email to cdf@swd.gov.hk.  The deadline for applications is 5:00 pm on 21 May 2026 (Thursday).
 

Guide on Application Procedures and Application Form

Online Briefing Session
The SWD will organise an online briefing session for interested NGOs and primary schools on 15 April 2026 (Wednesday) at 3:00 pm.  Each NGO or primary school may nominate up to two representatives.

For enquiries, please contact the Child Development Fund Office at 2892 5540.

The list of the second batch of approved applications for the Eleventh Tranche of the Innovation and Technology Fund for Application in Elderly and Rehabilitation Care has been released.  For details, please click here.

In accordance with the established mechanism, the Government earlier submitted a proposal to the Legislative Council Finance Committee (FC) to raise the standard payment rates under the CSSA Scheme and the rates of allowances under the Social Security Allowance (SSA) Scheme (namely Old Age Allowance, Old Age Living Allowance and Disability Allowance) by 2.2% according to the movement of the Social Security Assistance Index of Prices.  The FC approved the proposal on 13 February 2026, which would take retrospective effect from 1 February 2026.

Furthermore, according to the movement of the Consumer Price Index (A) rent index for private housing, the Government will raise the maximum rent allowance under the CSSA Scheme by 1.3%, also with retrospective effect from 1 February 2026.  At the same time, the asset limits under the CSSA Scheme, and the asset and monthly income limits for OALA under the SSA Scheme are also adjusted upwards.

The retrospective payment will be issued in batches from 19 March 2026 through the existing payment method (normally through payments credited to recipients’ designed bank accounts).  Recipients are not required to make application for the adjustment amount.  

The revised rates and limits with retrospective effect from 1 February 2026 are provided in the leaflets below:  

Information leaflet on standard rates, supplements and special grants under the CSSA Scheme (SSL/12)
Information leaflet on asset limits under the CSSA Scheme (SSL/15)
Information leaflet on payment rates and resource limits under the SSA Scheme (SSL/14)
Information leaflet on maximum rent allowance under the CSSA Scheme (SSL/13)
 

Besides, the flat-rate grant for selected items of school related expenses under the CSSA Scheme will be adjusted from the 2026/27 school year. The revised rates are provided in the leaflet below:

Information leaflet on the flat-rate grant for selected items of school related expenses under the CSSA Scheme (SSL/16)

The Government launched the “School-based After School Care Service Scheme” (the Scheme) in the 2023/24 school year to provide focused support for families in need (particularly single-parent families).  With funding from the Community Care Fund (CCF), non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are responsible for operating school-based after school care service at venues provided by schools, with a view to allowing primary students in need to stay after school to receive care and learning support, while enabling parents, who used to be tied up with caring responsibilities for their children during after-school hours, to choose to work and improve their livelihood.  The Scheme has received positive feedback since its launch.  In order to collect more comprehensive data and views from stakeholders for future review of the Scheme on the way forward, the Government extended the pilot period of the Scheme for one year in  the 2024/25 school year, covering all 18 districts in Hong Kong.  As of today, there are 126 primary schools joining the Scheme, offering about 5 900 service places.  As promulgated in 2024 Policy Address, it is planned to encourage more schools to participate in the Scheme, without capping the number of places, in the 2025/26 school year.

The Social Welfare Department (SWD) is now inviting eligible NGOs (Paragraph 4 of the Service Specifications) to apply for joining the Scheme for the 2025/26 school year as Approved Service Providers (ASPs).  NGOs interested may liaise with the participating schools in accordance with the location of their service units for discussing the implementation details in accordance with the content, procedures and guidelines set out in the Service Specifications and submit the application form (Annex 1 of the Service Specifications) on or before 5 July 2025 to CCF Team of SWD (Paragraph 41 of the Service Specifications). The list of participating schools will be uploaded to SWD’s website after the briefing. 

The Education Bureau and Labour and Welfare Bureau/SWD will form an interdepartmental working group to vet and approve the application.  CCF Team of SWD will notify the participating schools and partner NGOs (ASPs) of the result on or before 6 August 2025 so as to implement the after school care service in this September. 

To allow interested NGOs and schools having better understanding on the Scheme and the above-mentioned arrangement, the SWD is going to organise an online briefing session with details as follows: 

Eligible and interested NGOs may download and return the completed reply slip to the Youth Section of the SWD on or before 9 June 2025 (Monday) by email (email address: youthenq@swd.gov.hk). 

For enquiries, please contact the following responsible officers of the Youth Section:

Online Briefing Reply Slip (in Chinese)
Service Specifications (in Chinese)
Annex 1 - ASP Application Form for 2025/26 School Year (in Chinese)

Following the online briefing on the implementation of 2025/26 School Year School-based After School Care Service Scheme held by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) on 13 June 2025, documents below are provided.
PowerPoint Slides (in Chinese)
List of Service Units Willing to Participate in the 25-26 School-based After School Care Service Scheme (in Chinese)
List of Participating Schools (in Chinese)
Frequently Asked Questions (in Chinese)

• Starting from 28 July 2023, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) expands the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong. The expansion measures include to invite applications from operators of residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) with experience and satisfactory track records in providing subsidised elderly residential care services in Hong Kong and are operating RCHE(s) in Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) to register their RCHE(s) in GBA cities as the Recognised Service Provider (RSP) under the GDRCS Scheme.
• The SWD is receiving a new round of applications for RCHEs to join the Scheme.  Eligible Hong Kong operators planning to apply within 2026 for including their RCHEs located in the GBA, operated either on their own or under partnership with Mainland elderly service operators, in the Scheme shall submit their applications on or before April 30 this year.  Results are expected to be announced by year end.
• For the details of the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong, you may click here. 
• Joining the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong as Recognised Service Providers, please click here to download the Invitation for Proposal and annexes. (Chinese version only)
• For enquiries, you may contact the Residential Care Services Section of Elderly Branch.

• Starting from 28 July 2023, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) expands the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong. The expansion measures include to cover elderly persons waitlisting under the Central Waiting List for subsidised nursing home places.
• Currently, nursing home places are provided at The Hong Kong Jockey Club Shenzhen Society for Rehabilitation Yee Hong Heights and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Helping Hand Zhaoqing Home for the Elderly only.

Eligibility Criteria
The elderly persons who have been assessed and matched for residential care services under the Standardised Care Need Assessment Mechanism for Elderly Services and are waitlisted for subsidised care and attention places or nursing home places on the Central Waiting List (CWL) for Subsidised Long Term Care (LTC) Services.

How to Apply

1. Elderly persons who are waitlisted for subsidised residential care services in the CWL and would like to apply for the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong may contact their responsible workers to file an application for GDRCS Scheme.
2. New applicants of LTC services may approach Medical Social Services Units, Integrated Family Service Centres or elderly centres to make an application and request for referral for subsidised LTC services.  Through initial screening and assessment as appropriate, they may apply for LTC service, including GDRCS Scheme, in accordance with their assessment results after their care needs have been ascertained in the Standardised Care Needs Assessment.

• For the details of the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong, you may click here.
• For enquiries, you may contact the Residential Care Services Section of Elderly Branch at 2961 7234.

For details of the SPED and application eligibility, please click here.