- "iAM Smart+" account owner with signing function enabled can submit the online form directly; or
Upon receipt of the application, SWD will conduct investigation and verification of the applicant’s circumstances and information provided through office interview and home visit.
Under normal circumstances, and if the applicant or his/her guardian/appointee can produce all the necessary information, the application process can be completed within 4 weeks. All application procedures are processed in Hong Kong. |
Depending on the circumstances of individual cases, SWD will ask the applicant and his/her family members to produce the following documents; the applicant should ask the SWD staff responsible for his/her case for the documents required after the application is submitted : - Identity documents (such as Hong Kong Identity Cards (for those aged 11 or above), Birth Certificates (for those aged below 11) and Certificate of Exemption, etc.);
- Marriage certificates or documents of divorce, if applicable;
- Proofs of accommodation expenses (such as rent receipts, rent card, tenancy agreement, receipts of water & sewage charge, demands for rates and receipts of management fee, etc.);
- Proofs of assets (such as bank passbooks and bank statements showing the latest balance, time deposit receipts, insurance policy statements, stocks, proof of property/land ownership and other documentary proofs of valuable possessions, etc.);
- Proofs of educational expenses (such as receipts of school fee and school bus fee, etc.) and student handbooks;
- Travel documents (such as Passports, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Re-entry Permit, HKSAR Document of Identity for Visa Purposes, Hong Kong Entry Permit, Home Visit Permit and One-way Permit, etc.);
- Proofs of income (such as Mandatory Provident Fund pay-records, pay slips and, employer’s statement, etc.);
- Medical follow-up cards/appointment slips;
- Proofs of financial relationship with other family members (including parents and siblings); or
- Other relevant documents as required by SWD.
Where necessary, SWD will make enquiries to the Director of Health/Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority for medical reports, or to the applicant’s employer/ex-employer for verification. SWD will also seek information related to the applicant and his/her family members from the Immigration Department, other government departments and organizations (including banks). |
- After completion of the investigation, a notification letter will be sent to the applicant.
- If the application is successful, a detailed breakdown of the components of the monthly payment, pay-day, payment method and period of payment will be indicated in the notification letter.
- If the application is unsuccessful, the reason(s) for rejection will be given in the notification letter.
- If the applicant disagrees with a decision made by SWD, he/she has the right to lodge an appeal with the Social Security Appeal Board.
- CSSA payment will be calculated from the date of receipt of the application by SWD (or the date of application or referral if the application is referred by another organization) or the date of eligibility, whichever is the later.
- Able-bodied unemployed adults aged 15-59 are required to participate in the Support for Self-reliance (SFS) Scheme as a condition of receiving assistance. Their monthly entitlement normally starts 1 month after the date of application.
- CSSA payment is usually credited to the applicant's /guardian's / appointee's designated bank account in Hong Kong (joint bank account is not accepted) once a month.
- The pay-day will be contained in the notification letter (pay-day can be any day between the 1st to 28th of a month and will vary from case to case).
- Under exceptional circumstances, special delivery of cash directly to the applicant can be arranged. For urgent cases, cash payment may be paid to the applicant at the Social Security Field Unit.
- A recipient’s temporary absences from Hong Kong will not affect the amount of assistance payable on condition that the total number of days of absence in a payment year (which is counted from 1 July to 30 June of the following year) does not exceed the permissible limit as follows :
- Recipients who are old or medically certified to be disabled: 180 days per year
- Other recipients: 60 days per year
- If there are special reasons why these recipients have to leave Hong Kong for more than 60 days in a year, the permissible limit of absence from Hong Kong can be extended up to a maximum of 90 days at the discretion of the Director of Social Welfare.
- Please click here for details on the permissible limits of absence from Hong Kong during receipt of payment.
For other enquiries:Please visit the SWD’s CSSA Scheme website; or
Visit your nearest Social Security Field Unit. |
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