Financial and material help are available from the Government for needy citizens through various assistance programmes such as the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme. Here you can learn more about these services and find out what kinds of support are available in an emergency situation or in other areas such as medical assistance and housing support.

The Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme provides a safety net for those who cannot support themselves financially. It is designed to bring their income up to a prescribed level to meet their basic needs. To be eligible for assistance, an applicant must satisfy the residence requirements and pass the financial test. Persons aged 15-59 in normal health should actively seek full-time jobs and participate in the Support for Self-reliance (SFS) Scheme if they are unemployed, working part-time or earning less than a reasonable wage.

• More on the CSSA Scheme
  http://www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_socsecu/sub_comprehens/
• More on the SFS Scheme
  http://www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_socsecu/sub_supportfor/

Elderly CSSA recipients who meet the prescribed criteria and choose to retire permanently in Guangdong or Fujian can apply for Portable CSSA (PCSSA) to continue to receive their monthly standard rate and annual long-term supplement.

• More on the PCSSA Scheme
  http://www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_socsecu/sub_portableco/

The Social Security Allowance (SSA) Scheme, which includes Normal Old Age Allowance, Higher Old Age Allowance, Normal Disability Allowance and Higher Disability Allowance, is designed to provide a monthly allowance for Hong Kong residents who are 65 years of age or above or who are severely disabled to meet special needs arising from old age or disability. Except for the Normal Old Age Allowance, the allowances paid under the Scheme are non-means-tested.

• More on the SSA Scheme
  http://www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_socsecu/sub_ssallowance/

The Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation (CLEIC) Scheme aims to provide financial assistance to persons (or to their dependants in cases of death) who are injured as a result of a crime of violence, or by a law enforcement officer using weapon in the execution of his / her duty. The scheme is non-means-tested.

• More on the CLEIC Scheme
  http://www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_socsecu/sub_criminalan/

The Traffic Accident Victims Assistance (TAVA) Scheme provides speedy financial assistance to road traffic accident victims (or to their surviving dependents in cases of death) on a non-means-tested basis, regardless of the element of fault leading to the occurrence of the accident.

• More on the TAVA Scheme
  http://www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_socsecu/sub_trafficacc/

Emergency Relief (ER) provides for victims of natural and other disasters by means of providing meals (or cash-in-lieu of meals) and relief articles. The Emergency Relief Fund is to provide financial assistance to persons who are in need of urgent relief as a result of natural disasters.

• More on the ER
  http://www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_socsecu/sub_emergencyr/

To ensure that all citizens can receive essential medical care, the Government has designed a system of fee waiver for medical services. All CSSA recipients are eligible for fee waiver, as are low income earners, chronically ill patients and elderly patients who have little income and few assets but are not CSSA recipients. If you belong to one of these groups and need assistance, you can apply for a fee waiver at the medical social services unit of the public hospital or clinic that you attend, or at the Integrated Family Service Centres or Family & Child Protective Services Unit of the Social Welfare Department (SWD). The Medical Social Workers / Social Workers would assess the application with due consideration to the financial, social and medical condition of the applicants on a household basis.

• More on the Fee Waiver Mechanism
  http://www.ha.org.hk/hesd/nsapi/?MIval=ha_visitor_index&intro=ha_view_content%26c_id%3d122630

Another way in which the Government supports people in need is through Compassionate Rehousing and the provision of temporary shelter during emergencies.

Compassionate Rehousing (CR)

CR is a form of housing assistance which aims at providing assistance to individuals and families who have genuine and imminent housing needs but are unable to address the needs by themselves. The Social Welfare Department (SWD) will recommend eligible applicants to the Housing Department (HD) for consideration of allocation of public rental housing (PRH) flat. Conditional Tenancy (CT) is a scheme under CR for those undergoing divorce and have genuine and imminent housing needs but are unable to address the needs by themselves. SWD will recommend those who brings with him/her dependent children or a battered spouse (even without children or has not brought along dependent children) to HD for consideration of allocation of PRH. To address the housing needs of elderly property owner-occupiers (EPOs) living in private dilapidated buildings, HD and SWD have agreed, with effect from June 2004, to assist eligible EPOs to move into public rental housing units on a licence basis through an Ex-gratia Scheme, as a transitional arrangement, based on considerations for CR. For more information on the eligiblity for applications for CR, CT and Ex-gratia Scheme for EPOs, please refer to the following link.

• More on Compassionate Re-housing
  http://www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_family/sub_listofserv/id_221/

Temporary Shelter

There are 78 temporary shelters in the 18 districts throughout Hong Kong. They will be opened for public use during typhoons, landslides, heavy rainstorms or other emergency situations at the discretion of the respective District Officers. Temporary shelters will also be provided for people in need in the event of cold or prolonged oppressively hot weather. More information about the shelters and lists of locations are available on the following link.

• More on temporary shelters
  http://www.had.gov.hk/en/public_services/emergency_services/emergency.htm#1