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The following is issued on behalf of the Community Care Fund Secretariat:
The application period for the Community Care Fund (CCF)'s assistance programme to provide a subsidy for low-income persons who are inadequately housed started today (October 8). Eligible people can submit their applications by April 8, 2013.
The Chairman of the Executive Committee on the CCF, Dr Law Chi-kwong, hosted a press briefing to announce the application details today. He said, "The CCF has set aside about $91 million for the programme to provide a one-off subsidy for low-income persons who are inadequately housed to relieve their financial pressure. The amount of subsidy is $3,000 for one-person households, $6,000 for two-person households, and a uniform $8,000 for three-or-more-person households. The programme is expected to benefit over 13,000 households (nearly 30,000 persons)."
Beneficiaries must be renting rooms/cubicles, cocklofts or bedspaces in private buildings (excluding industrial and commercial buildings) on a monthly basis (or for longer tenures); renting bedspaces under the Home Affairs Department's Singleton Hostel Programme; or residing in temporary housing or homeless.
The average monthly household income of the applicants in the past three months must not exceed the specified income limit. They should neither be recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance, nor own any property in Hong Kong. For those renting rooms/cubicles, cocklofts or bedspaces in private buildings, their average monthly rent in the past three months shall not exceed the specified rental limit. The specified income limits and rental limits (if applicable) corresponding to the relevant household sizes are as follows:
Household size Specified Specified
(persons) household household
income rental
limit ($) limit ($)
(if applicable)
1 8,740 4,370
2 13,410 6,705
3 17,060 8,530
4 20,710 10,355
5 23,640 11,820
6 or above 26,590 13,295
Application forms for the programme are available at 42 community service units. The list of the relevant community service units (please refer to the Annex) is available at the Public Enquiry Service Centres of the Home Affairs Department and the District Social Welfare Offices of the Social Welfare Department. The detailed eligibility criteria, application procedures and application forms are also available for download from the CCF website (www.communitycarefund.hk) starting from today.
Applications should be made on a household basis. Duly completed application forms, together with copies of the required documents, should be submitted to community service units assisting in implementing the programme and near the applicants' places of residence. The homeless can submit their applications to service units for homeless persons on the list of community service units.
The CCF Secretariat and the community service units will vet every application, and will conduct verification checks including verifying applicants' eligibility and supporting documents, visits to applicants and income tests on selected applications. Notification of results will be issued to all applicants, irrespective of whether their applications are successful.
Eligible persons will have ample time to submit their applications since the application period will last for six months. There is no need for applicants to rush to submit their applications in the early stage.
The Secretariat will disburse the subsidy in phases after vetting the applications. If applicants choose to receive the subsidy through direct payment into bank accounts, the subsidy will be deposited into the bank accounts as specified in their application forms. For applicants who choose to receive the subsidy in the form of order cheques, they should bring along their Hong Kong identity cards and collect the cheques in person at the designated community service units within the specified period.
For detailed information on the programme, please visit the CCF's website (www.communitycarefund.hk) or refer to the programme brief.
For enquiries, please call the programme hotlines at 2835 1158 or 2835 1188.
Ends/Monday, October 8, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:16
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