What are the eligibility criteria of the Working Family Allowance Scheme?

Eligibility Criteria for Working Family Allowance (WFA) 

1. On a household basis, including singleton households.

2. The total working hours of non-single-parent households and single-parent households must meet the working hour requirements (please press here). 
(Note: Applicant and his/her household member(s) may report the working hours of more than one paid job within the same month. WFA Scheme also allows household members to aggregate their working hours.)

3. A WFA household must meet the income and asset limits (please press here).  

4. To qualify for a Child Allowance under the WFA Scheme, a household must have a child/children aged below 15, or aged between 15 and 21 receiving full-time education (but not post-secondary education). 

5. The applicant and his/her household members must be Hong Kong residents and living in Hong Kong. 

The WFA Scheme accepts applications from households of one person or more. A household generally refers to a unit with persons having close economic ties (but excluding economic ties arising from employment relationships) and living on the same premises (in Hong Kong). Members must be Hong Kong residents, normally including husband and wife, and those who live on the same premises and share or are obliged to share the provisions for a living. If the members are temporarily not living on the same premises but would reasonably be expected to return to live together, they would be regarded as members. However, for those who are not living on the same premises and are reasonably expected not to return to live together, they would not be regarded as members.

Normally, husband and wife are taken as members of the same household under the WFA Scheme irrespective of whether they live on the same premises. Applicants and other household members must report the particulars of their spouses in the application forms, unless the spouse is not a Hong Kong resident, or there is indication of permanent separation, or in other justifiable circumstances.

6. Points to Note:

• A household receiving WFA cannot concurrently receive Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) in the same claim month. 
• The WFA Scheme does not impose a requirement on the length of residence in Hong Kong.  New arrivals may also apply for WFA or be counted as household member(s).  Hong Kong non-permanent residents who have been admitted to Hong Kong to work, study or receive training and their dependents, and individuals who have entered Hong Kong as visitors, are not eligible to apply for WFA or be counted as household members. 

Applicants intend to apply for WFA can use the WFA Calculator to make a preliminary assessment of the eligibility and amount of allowance. 
 

Applicants may view the video clips on WFSFAA website for details of the WFA Scheme.