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Hong Kong launches up to HK$45,000 cash incentives for welfare-to-work
The three-year pilot starts Oct. 1 and pays HK$10,000 in year one, HK$15,000 in year two, and HK$20,000 in year three for qualifying households leaving CSSA.
Hong Kong has unveiled a three-year pilot programme that offers welfare recipients cash incentives of up to HK$45,000, designed to encourage sustained employment and help families move from the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance system to the Working Family Allowance programme, according to SCMP Economy. Legislators said the policy is expected to be especially helpful to single-parent families. They pointed to lower working-hour thresholds under the WFA, where applicants need 36 hours of work per month for the basic tier, versus 144 to 192 hours for general applicants. The scheme is funded by the Community Care Fund and is set to launch on October 1. It is intended to support households that leave CSSA and obtain approval for at least two consecutive WFA applications within 12 months, with incentive payments provided for at least 10 months. Lawmaker Tang Ka-piu urged the Labour Department to strengthen job matching, particularly for women with caregiving responsibilities, and called for more flexible employment options such as roles with hotel housekeeping, alongside greater use of existing after-school care services.