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Special grants
For elderly recipients, they will be given a $200 "lai see" grant at Chinese New Year and a new special grant of $320 a year, on a reimbursement basis, to participate in recreational and social activities. About 100,000 elderly recipients will benefit.
School children from pre-primary to upper secondary will be given an annual flat-rate grant for school related expenses, that is, books, stationery, school uniforms, meaning an average additional payment of about $1,500 in most cases. About 28,000 school children will benefit.
Rent allowance
The current maximum rent allowance for CSSA households living in private housing will be increased by between 17 and 52 per cent, depending on household size. About 19,000 CSSA households will benefit.
For example, the maximum rent allowance for a three-person household will increase from $2,265 to $3,452, an increase of 52 per cent.
Asset limits
The existing two categories of assets will be simplified to one by excluding the category of real property not occupied by the family.
The limit for cash, savings and valuable possessions will be increased by between nine and 41 per cent, depending on household size. As a result, the asset limit for single person households would be set at $33,000. An additional $16,500 will be allowed for each eligible member of a household.
Disregarded earnings
The level of earnings which a CSSA recipient may retain without being offset against CSSA payments will continue to be set at an amount equivalent to the monthly standard rate for a single able-bodied adult.
As a result, it will increase from the current $1,210 a month to $1,615 a month with effect from April, up 33 per cent.
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