******************************************************
The following is issued on behalf of the Community Care Fund Secretariat:
The Community Care Fund (CCF) announced today (May 2) the extension of two assistance programmes, namely "Special Subsidy to Persons with Severe Physical Disabilities for Renting Respiratory Support Medical Equipment" and "Special Subsidy to Persons with Severe Physical Disabilities for Purchasing Medical Consumables Related to Respiratory Support Medical Equipment", which are administered by the Social Welfare Department (SWD). The SWD is now inviting a new round of applications so as to benefit more eligible persons with severe physical disabilities. The subsidy period for existing beneficiaries who remain eligible for the programmes after verification can also be extended. Since the two programmes will be incorporated into regular subsidised service in the fourth quarter of 2014, eligible persons can receive the subsidies up to October 31, 2014, or until they benefit from the regular subsidised service, whichever is the earlier. Details are as follows:
(1) Special Subsidy to Persons with Severe Physical Disabilities for Renting Respiratory Support Medical Equipment
Rolled out in January 2013, the programme aims at providing a special subsidy for persons with severe physical disabilities, who are living in the community and not receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA), with household income not exceeding the prescribed limit, for renting respiratory support medical equipment. The programme is now extended and the beneficiaries should meet the following criteria:
* Renting respiratory support medical equipment without receiving any relevant subsidy for the equipment;
* Living in the community and receiving Higher Disability Allowance (HDA) under the Social Security Allowance (SSA) Scheme; and
* Having monthly household income not exceeding 150% of the Median Monthly Domestic Household Income (MMDHI) and annual household disposable financial resources not exceeding $180,000.
The amount of subsidy that eligible individuals may receive for the whole period will be determined according to their monthly household income and their annual household disposable financial resources at the time of application. There are three levels of subsidy (i.e. "full grant", "three-quarters" or "half grant" of the subsidy) and the details are as follows:
Monthly subsidy granted
Monthly For beneficiaries For beneficiaries
household with annual with annual
income household household
disposable disposable
financial resources financial
of $100,000 resources over
or below $100,000 but
not exceeding
$180,000
At or less "Full grant" of the "Full grant" of
than 100% subsidy ($2,500) the subsidy
of the MMDHI ($2,000)
In the range "Three-quarters" of "Three-quarters"
of above 100% the subsidy of the subsidy
to 125% of ($1,875) ($1,500)
the MMDHI
In the range "Half grant" of the "Half grant" of
of above 125% subsidy ($1,250) the subsidy
to 150% of ($1,000)
the MMDHI
(2) Special Subsidy to Persons with Severe Physical Disabilities for Purchasing Medical Consumables Related to Respiratory Support Medical Equipment
The programme was rolled out in September 2013 to provide a special subsidy for persons with severe physical disabilities who are living in the community and not receiving CSSA, with household income not exceeding the prescribed limit, for purchasing medical consumables related to respiratory support medical equipment. The programme is now extended and the beneficiaries should meet the following criteria:
* Using respiratory support medical equipment without receiving any relevant subsidy for medical consumables;
* Living in the community and receiving HDA under the SSA Scheme; and
* Having monthly household income not exceeding 150% of the MMDHI and annual household disposable financial resources not exceeding $180,000.
The maximum amount of subsidy eligible individuals may receive for the whole period is determined according to their monthly household income at the time of application. There are three levels of subsidy, i.e. those with household income at or less than 100% of the MMDHI to receive "full grant" of the subsidy ($2,000 per month at most); those with household income in the range of above 100% to 125% of the MMDHI to receive "three-quarters" of the subsidy ($1,500 per month at most); and those with household income in the range of above 125% to 150% of the MMDHI to receive "half grant" of the subsidy ($1,000 per month at most).
The SWD will issue letters to invite applications from persons with severe physical disabilities who may be eligible for the above programmes. Applicants are required to submit the completed application forms together with all necessary documents by post or by hand to the CCF Team of the SWD on or before September 30, 2014. Notification of application results will be issued to the applicants and the subsidy is expected to be disbursed to eligible persons starting from June 2014. Existing beneficiaries of the programmes are not required to submit new applications, and the SWD will separately inform them of the necessary arrangements.
For details of the two programmes, please visit the CCF website (www.communitycarefund.hk) or the SWD website (www.swd.gov.hk). For enquiries, please call the CCF Team of the SWD at 3422 3090 during office hours.
Ends/Friday, May 2, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:00
NNNN
