TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1990
OLD AGE ALLOWANCE EXTENDED TO 66-YEAR OLD GROUP
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THE QUALIFYING AGE FOR NORMAL OLD AGE ALLOWANCE WILL BE FURTHER LOWERED TO 66 STARTING FROM APRIL THIS YEAR, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).
THIS IS THE THIRD STAGE OF THE EXTENSION OF NORMAL OLD AGE ALLOWANCE TO PERSONS AGED FROM 65 TO 69. BY APRIL 1991, ALL ELDERLY AGED 65 OR ABOVE WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE ALLOWANCE.
FROM
SOCIAL WORKERS WILL PUBLICISE THE LOWERING OF THE AGE LIMIT TO THE ELDERLY IN HOSTELS, HOMES AND CENTRES. GROUP APPLICATIONS THEM WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO SAVE THEIR TIME AND EFFORT IN APPROACHING THE DEPARTMENT'S FIELD UNIT OFFICES.
THE FIELD UNIT OFFICES WILL ALSO ACCEPT PROVISIONAL APPLICATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS STARTING FROM THURSDAY, MARCH 1. DETAILS CAN BE OBTAINED BY CALLING THE DEPARTMENT'S HOTLINE 3432255,
THE SPOKESMAN SAID IN VIEW OF THE ANTICIPATED
SUDDEN INCREASE IN APPLICATIONS, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE TIME TO PROCESS, THERE WOULD BE SOME DELAY IN PAYMENT.
"HOWEVER, SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE MADE TO ENSURE THAT PAYMENT CAN BE MADE IN THREE то FOUR MONTHS AFTER RECEIVING AN APPLICATION, HE SAID.
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"ALSO, PAYMENT WILL BE BACKDATED TO THE DATE OF
HE ADDED.
ELIGIBILITY,
"I
AT PRESENT, THE NORMAL OLD AGE ALLOWANCE FOR PERSONS AGED FROM 67 TO 69 IS $310 PER MONTH WHILE THE ALLOWANCE FOR THOSE AGED 70 OR ABOVE IS $355. THIS SCALE WILL BE REVIEWED IN APRIL.
66-YEARS OLD
IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT 22,000 PEOPLE IN THE AGE GROUP WILL BENEFIT FROM THE EXTENSION AND THE ANNUAL EXPENDITURE WILL BE $82 MILLION.
F APART FROM LOWERING THE QUALIFYING AGE, THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA REMAIN UNCHANGED, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
"TO BE ELIGIBLE, THE APPLICANT MUST HAVE LIVED IN HONG KONG CONTINUOUSLY FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS PRIOR TO THE QUALIFYING AGE. HE IS ALSO EXPECTED TO MAKE A DECLARATION OF RESOURCES WHEN APPLYING FOR THE ALLOWANCE.
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A SINGLE PERSON WILL BE ENTITLED ΤΟ THE ALLOWANCE PROVIDED THAT HIS INCOME DOES NOT EXCEED $1,800 PER MONTH AND THAT HE HAS ASSETS WORTH NOT MORE THAN $100,000. THE LIMITS FOR A COUPLE ARE $3,000 AND $150,000 RESPECTIVELY.
PERSONAL JEWELLERY, A FAMILY CAR, SELF-OCCUPIED PROPERTY,
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM RELATIVES AND FRIENDS AND PAYMENTS FROM CHARITABLE FUNDS ARE DISREGARDED IN THE CALCULATION OF INCOME AND ASSETS.
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