While receiving Social Security Allowance, i.e. Old Age Living Allowance / Old Age Allowance / Disability Allowance, how many days am I allowed to be out of Hong Kong? How to calculate the number of days of absence?

During receipt of Old Age Living Allowance, Old Age Allowance or Disability Allowance, recipients must reside in Hong Kong but they enjoy permissible limits of absence from Hong Kong (i.e. leaving Hong Kong for the Mainland, Macau or overseas countries/territories). If the number of days of absence from Hong Kong does not exceed the permissible limit, the amount of assistance payable will not be affected.

1. Permissible Limits of Absence

• Where a recipient has resided in Hong Kong for not less than 60 days in a payment year ( Note 1), his/her temporary absences from Hong Kong will not affect the payment of allowance on condition that the total number of days of absence in the year does not exceed 305 days (or 306 days in a leap year).

•  If a recipient has resided in Hong Kong for less than 60 days in a payment year ( Note 1), he/she is not entitled to any ‘absence’ allowance in that year.  He/she is eligible to receive allowance only for the periods during which he/she has resided in Hong Kong.

Note 1：Payment year refers to the 12-month period from the date when the recipient starts to receive allowance.

• In the calculation of the number of days of absence, subject to there being sufficient documentary proof, consideration can be given to disregard a recipient’s absences from Hong Kong arising from the following situations:
  • paid work outside Hong Kong
  • full-time study outside Hong Kong（only applicable to Disability Allowance recipients）
     

2. Calculation of the number of days of absence 

• The number of days of absence is calculated from the date of departure from Hong Kong, and the day of return to Hong Kong is not counted.

• If he/she leaves Hong Kong and returns on the same day, the number of days of absence is zero.