Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ10: Old age allowance

        Following is a question by the Hon Choy So-yuk and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (March 16):

 

Question:

 

        Will the Government inform this Council of the number of cases, in each of the past three years, in which payments of normal or higher old age allowances to elderly persons were suspended by the authorities because they had violated the stipulation on the annual permissible limit of 180 days' absence from Hong Kong, and of the respective amounts of allowances involved?

 

Reply:

 

Madam President,

 

        Under existing arrangement, Old Age Allowance (OAA) recipients are entitled to an annual permissible limit of 180 days' absence from Hong Kong subject to the recipient having resided in Hong Kong for at least 90 days in the year, without affecting their entitlement to the payment.  In respect of the number of OAA cases in which the recipients have breached the current annual permissible limit of absence, and the respective amounts involved in the past three years, the situation is as follows:

 

Year               Number of Cases                       Amount Involved ($ Million)

 (including both Normal OAA and Higher OAA)         

 

2001/02                6, 871                                    $15.0

2002/03                7, 053                                    $14.5

2003/04                7, 113                                    $13.5

 

 

        The Social Welfare Department can normally recover the overpayment in respect of the cases which have breached the annual permissible limit of absence.  Since OAA is a broadly non means-tested benefit, we have to prudently manage the use of the funds involved.  As some elders have expressed the wish to spend more time with friends and relatives outside Hong Kong, after balancing various considerations, we have announced in the 2005 Policy Address that the annual permissible limit of absence from Hong Kong would be increased to 240 days without affecting recipients' entitlement to the payment.  Subject to approval by the Finance Committee of this Council, we intend to implement the new measure in October 2005. 

 

Ends/Wednesday, March 16, 2005

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