To support carers or people with disabilities, starting today, four financial assistance schemes under the Community Care Fund will be regularised, the Government announced.

They include the Scheme on Living Allowance for Carers of Elderly Persons from Low-income Families, the Scheme on Living Allowance for Low-income Carers of Persons with Disabilities, the Special Care Subsidy Scheme for Persons with Severe Disabilities, and the Scheme on Providing Subsidy for Higher Disability Allowance Recipients in Paid Employment to Hire Carers.

After regularisation, the monthly allowance of the first two schemes, ie the Scheme on Living Allowance for Carers of Elderly Persons from Low-income Families and the Scheme on Living Allowance for Low-income Carers of Persons with Disabilities, will increase from $2,400 to $3,000.

In tandem with the new arrangement, the allowances of these two schemes will no longer be counted as income under the Working Family Allowance Scheme. This applies to Working Family Allowance applications submitted on or after October 1.

Meanwhile, the monthly allowance of the Special Care Subsidy Scheme for Persons with Severe Disabilities will increase from $2,000 to $2,500, while that of the Scheme on Providing Subsidy for Higher Disability Allowance Recipients in Paid Employment to Hire Carers will be $5,000.

Since June, the Social Welfare Department has been sending letters to carers of elderly people/people with disabilities as well as people with disabilities, to invite applications.

Applicants should submit their completed application forms with relevant documents by post or in person to the department’s Carer Allowances & Subsidies Team, Room 404, 4/F Lady Trench Training Centre, 44 Oi Kwan Road, Wan Chai.

For enquiries, call the Carer Allowances & Subsidies Team at 3468 5635 or 3468 5636, or write to castenq@swd.gov.hk.