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Comprehensive Social Security Assistance

Comprehensive Social Security Assistance
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese
Short name
Traditional Chinese 綜援
Simplified Chinese 综援

The Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme is a welfare programme in Hong Kong that provides supplementary payments to Hong Kong residents whose income is not sufficient to meet basic needs. Eligibility is based on a means test of falling below certain income and asset thresholds — which vary based on age and household size — as well as being legally resident in Hong Kong and not being absent from Hong Kong for more than a specified period each year. Disabled persons, single parents, and elderly persons in assisted living facilities may qualify for additional supplementary payments. Able-bodied persons between the ages of 15 and 59 are required to actively seek full-time jobs.

As of April 2015, the total number of recipients was 251 436, with a total of 376 990 recipients. Analysed by case nature, low-earnings cases registered a month-to-month decrease of 1.7 per cent to 7 181 cases; unemployment cases also dropped by 0.8 per cent to 17 870 cases. Old age and ill health cases registered month-to-month decreases of 0.3 per cent and 0.1 per cent to 148 262 cases and 24 739 cases respectively. Permanent disability cases remained steady at 18 216 cases. Single parent cases showed a slight increase of 0.1 per cent to 29 317 cases.

The first public assistance scheme was first introduced in 1971 as the foundation of Hong Kong's social security system. Prior to 1971 the social relief was largely confined and temporary. The Social Welfare Department only came into existence in 1958 and the government restricted its role and stressed the role of family in social welfare, as it emphasised in the first White Paper on Social Welfare published in 1965 which argued for a strengthened family to support its member. Long term plans in social welfare were introduced in the 1970s with double in social spending per capita between 1971 and 1974. Modeled from the British National Assistance Act, the 1971 public assistance scheme indicated the willingness of the government to take care the basic needs of those who are infirm and ill, which has not changed significantly throughout the years. Together with the Social Allowance Scheme (today known as Social Security Allowance Scheme) introduced in 1973, they have been the major components of Hong Kong's social security system. Throughout the 1980s, the total spending on social welfare was between 4.5 to 6.5% of the government's budget and the social security spending was about 0.57% of the gross domestic product.


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