Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility Critiera

In case some members of the applicant's household are CSSA recipients or persons who have entered Hong Kong not for the purpose of settlement, or those who have demonstrated to the satisfaction of the ImmD that they have the financial means to sustain their living in Hong Kong before issuance of visas/entry permits, they do not meet the eligibility criteria of the Programme. As a result, will all persons in the household become ineligible for the subsidy?
No. Those eligible persons under the household may still benefit from the Programme. The application will still be processed. However, the household members who do not meet the eligibility criteria of the Programme should be excluded for the purpose of calculating the number of household members, income, rent and subsidy amount.
If any person in a household owns property in Hong Kong, are all persons in that household ineligible for the subsidy?
Yes. If any person in a household owns property in Hong Kong, all persons in that household are ineligible for the subsidy.
If applicants living in private housing, industrial buildings or commercial buildings who do not need to pay any rent, are they eligible for the subsidy?
No. Applicants must be "tenants" of private housing, industrial buildings or commercial buildings and paying rent for the accommodation.
For people owning/living in self-constructed temporary housing including roof-top/squatter structures (thus do not need to pay rent), are they eligible for the subsidy?
Yes. All "temporary housing" residents (whether they need to pay rent or not) are targeted beneficiaries of the Programme, including those living in temporary housing area units, and private temporary housing such as roof-top structures, squatter structures, licensed structures (i.e. domestic structures licensed by the Lands Department), huts, places not intended for residential purpose (such as landings, staircases, corridors, etc.), contractor's matsheds and nissen huts.
If the monthly rent paid is different in the past 3 months or the accommodation has been rented for less than 3 months, how to calculate the average monthly rent?
If the monthly rent paid is different in the past 3 months – you should first calculate the total rent paid in these 3 months, then calculate the average monthly rent (i.e. divide the total rent amount by 3).

If the accommodation has been rented for 2.5 months – you should first calculate the total rent paid in these 2.5 months and then calculate the average monthly rent. For example, if the total rent paid in the past 2.5 months is $10,000, then the average monthly rent is $4,000 (i.e. $10,000 ÷ 75 days x 30 days (75 days = 30 days + 30 days + 15 days)).
For applicant or household member who is included in the tenancy of a public rental housing flat, is he/she eligible for the subsidy?
Yes. As long as the applicant or household member is residing in the type of accommodation covered by the Programme when submitting an application and meet all the eligibility criteria under the Programme, they can submit applications and receive the subsidy after verification of their eligibility criteria.
Are non-Hong Kong permanent residents eligible for the subsidy?
Yes. Persons, who hold a valid Hong Kong Identity Card and do not belong to those entering Hong Kong not for the purpose of settlement, and/or those who have demonstrated to the satisfaction of the ImmD that they have the financial means to sustain their living in Hong Kong before issuance of visas/entry permits, are eligible for the subsidy if they meet all eligibility criteria under the Programme.
Applications will be processed on a household basis. How to define household member?
For the purpose of the Programme, a "household" consists of a group of persons who live together and make common provision for essentials for living. These persons need not be related. If a person makes provision for essentials for living without sharing with other persons, he/she is also regarded as a household. In this case, the household is a "one-person household".
For applicant or household member who is not living in Hong Kong, is he/she eligible for the subsidy?
No. Target beneficiaries of the Programme must be living in Hong Kong (as at the application date) and meet all the eligibility criteria of the Programme. They can receive the subsidy after verification of their eligibility.
For an eligible person who lives in Hong Kong alone and that his/her family members reside in the Mainland and come to Hong Kong regularly for visit, how to calculate the number of household members?
For an eligible person with family members living in the Mainland, if his/her family members enter Hong Kong for the purpose of visit but not settlement, they should not be counted as household members.

Calculating monthly household income

If the monthly household income is not stable, how to calculate the household income?
Applicant can first calculate the total household income in the past 3 months prior to the submission of application (i.e. the total monthly income of the applicant and household members in the past 3 months), then calculate the average monthly household income (i.e. divide the total income in 3 months by 3).

If the applicant has no income in any one of the past 3 months, the monthly household income can be derived by dividing the total income in the other 2 months by 3.
If rent is paid by others (e.g. children), will such rent be included in calculating the household income?
No. However, living subsidy provided by others should be included in calculating the household income.
Should income earned outside Hong Kong be included as an applicant's household income?
Yes. All income (irrespective of whether it is earned locally or outside Hong Kong, e.g. salaries of temporary job earned overseas) should be included in calculating the household income.
Are the contributions made to a Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) Scheme deductible from their income?
Employee's mandatory contributions made to a MPF Scheme are deductible from income. However, any voluntary contributions made are not deductible.
Are the contributions made to a recognised occupational retirement (ROR) scheme deductible from income?
Contributions made to an ROR scheme are deductible from their income. However, the maximum amount deductible from each person should be the least of the following 3 amounts:
- the contributions to the ROR scheme in the past 3 months;
- the amount of the mandatory contributions that would have been required to pay if he/she had contributed as an employee to an MPF scheme (i.e. equivalent to 5% of the monthly salary); or
- $4,500 (i.e. $1,500 per month).

Application Arrangements

Will applications submitted in advance of the respective phases be accepted (e.g. in July 2020 for two-person households)?
Applications under the Programme shall be submitted in phases. The Secretariat / service units will not accept applications submitted outside the specified application phase, so as to avoid unfairness and confusion.
If an applicant household is eligible for the subsidy during the period from 2 July 2020 to the date before the commencement of the respective application phase applicable to the relevant household size, but becomes ineligible after the commencement of the respective application phase applicable to the relevant household size owing to subsequent changes of their household situations (e.g. receiving CSSA or moving into public rental housing), what should he/she do?
The relevant applicant household may call the Secretariat at 2180 6666 for special arrangement.
How to obtain the application form?
Starting from 2 July 2020, the application form will be available at service units which assist in implementing the Programme, the Public Enquiry Service Centres of the Home Affairs Department, the District Social Welfare Offices of the Social Welfare Department and the Support Service Centres for Ethnic Minorities, or can be downloaded from the CCF website.
Can applicants submit their application forms to the Secretariat/service units by fax or by e-mail?
No.
Can applicants submit their application by post?
Yes. If applicants choose to submit application by post, they should mail the duly completed application form (together with all required documents) to their nearby service unit assisting in implementing the Programme (click here for the list of service units). Application forms mailed to the Secretariat directly will be returned.
If a household has more than one eligible person but they are unable to reach a consensus on nominating a specified applicant, what should they do?
As applications should be made on a "household" basis, a household with more than one eligible person should nominate one of the eligible persons as the applicant. If they are unable to reach a consensus on nominating a specified applicant, we would not be able to process the application concerned even if they are eligible under the Programme.
Has the CCF commissioned any organisations to assist applicants in completing and submitting application forms? What should applicants pay attention to if they need assistance in completing the application forms?
The CCF has not commissioned any organisations to complete and submit the application forms for the applicants.

If assistance is needed to submit an application, applicants should seek help from the service units, or family members, relatives or friends. Applicants should exercise care in the handling and protection of personal data.
What should applicants pay attention to when some organisations offer to help them to fill in the application forms?
Applicants should understand the purposes of data collection by the organisation concerned and whether the data collected will be used for other purposes or transferred to any agencies or persons other than the CCF Secretariat or the service units. If the organisation indicates that the data will be used for purposes other than the Programme, applicants should seriously consider if they should accept such additional purposes before providing the data to the organisation.

Applicants should keep a record of the name and contact particulars of the person who collects their data, as well as the name of the organisation they represent.

Applicants should not provide excessive personal data. If the applicant is asked to provide data which exceed that required under the Programme, he/she should ask for an explanation from the organisation concerned. For enquiry, please contact the CCF Secretariat at 2180 6666.
How long does it take to complete vetting of an application?
In general, for duly completed applications, the service units and the CCF Secretariat will take about 2 months to complete the vetting and arrange for the disbursement of subsidy to successful applicant households. The time required is for reference only. Subject to the circumstances of individual cases and the number of applications received for the entire Programme, the processing time may vary.
How to define the date of submitting the application?
The date of submitting an application shall be the date when the duly completed application form together with copies of all the required documents reach the service unit.
Whether duplicate submissions of application can be made due to a change of household situation?
No. Applicants should not make duplicate submissions of applications (even if such households have become eligible under the Programme due to subsequent changes of situation).

Given the huge number of applications under the Programme, and that the Secretariat and the service units have to vet each application according to the household situation as at the date of submitting the application, accepting duplicate applications will likely result in confusion and will delay the processing of other applications.

Moreover, it is stated in the Programme Brief that beneficiaries should meet all the eligibility criteria on the date of submitting the application. As the application period lasts for several months (from July to November 2020), households should have adequate time to submit their applications in the light of their own household situation at an appropriate time when they are eligible under the Programme.
If other members of the household residing with the eligible persons who are aged below 18/incapable of managing his/her own affairs/mentally incapacitated are not eligible for the subsidy, how can those eligible persons apply for the subsidy?
For the eligible persons who are aged below 18/incapable of managing his/her own affairs/mentally incapacitated whereas the persons who are residing with them are not eligible, parents/guardians (must be Hong Kong residents at the age of 18 or above) not living with those aged below 18 who are eligible, agents not residing with those persons who are incapable of managing his/her own affairs, or legal guardians not living with those mentally incapacitated persons can submit the application and receive the subsidy for them after the Secretariat has confirmed their eligibility for the Programme. Please call the Secretariat at 2180 6666 for special arrangement.
Can applicants stamp a seal or provide fingerprints on the application form instead of signing it?
If necessary, applicants may stamp a seal or provide fingerprints on the application form instead of signing it.

Required Documents

Are applicants required to submit income proof when submitting applications?
No. Applicants have to declare that the average monthly household income in the past 3 months does not exceed the specified income limit.

The service units will conduct random checks through home visits/ income tests on selected applications. Applicants will be required to produce income proof during home visits / income tests.
If there is a change in the number of members of the applicant's household in the 3 months prior to the application date (e.g. because of death or moving-out of household members), should those household members be included in calculating the number of household members, income and rent?
The number of household members, income and rent should be calculated as at the application date.
Are applicants required to submit copies of the rent receipts of the past 3 months?
Only applicants who rent accommodation in private housing, industrial buildings, commercial buildings or social housing are required to provide copies of rent receipts. If the rent shown on the copy of the rent receipt submitted by an applicant is the same as the amount indicated in Part 3 of the application form, the applicant is only required to submit copy of the rent receipt (showing any of the applicant or the household members as the tenant of the accommodation concerned, the residential address and the monthly rent) of any one of the 3 months prior to the application date.

However, if the rent shown on the copy of the rent receipt submitted by an applicant is different from the amount indicated in Part 3 of the application form, the applicant is required to submit copies of the rent receipts of all 3 months prior to the application date for verification.
If the rent payment includes management fee, rates or utility charges for water, electricity and gas, etc, how should the applicant declare the rent amount?
The rent amount of an applicant household should exclude management fee, rates, or utility charges for water, electricity and gas, etc. If the rent payment includes such charges and the rent receipts do not show the specific amount of each item, the applicant should submit the "Self-declaration Form: Copy of Rent Receipt Cannot be Provided" for declaring the actual amount of rent paid.
Which documents are required for applicants who choose to receive the subsidy through bank transfer?
For applicants who choose to receive the subsidy through bank transfer, documentary proof of the bank account (e.g. the page of a passbook showing the name of the account holder, or a bank statement, etc.) must be submitted. If applicants choose to provide a copy of ATM card, they must also submit a pay-in slip of the account to proof that it is a local Hong Kong dollar savings/current bank account solely under the name of the applicant.

Disbursement of Subsidy

For eligible applicant households, what is the expected time of subsidy disbursement?
In general, for duly completed applications with all the required supporting documents, the service units and the CCF Secretariat will take about 2 months to complete the vetting and arrange for the disbursement of subsidy to successful applicant households. The time required is for reference only. Subject to the circumstances of individual cases and the number of applications received for the entire Programme, the processing time may vary.
For those applicants who choose to receive the subsidy through direct payment into bank accounts, do they need to make arrangements at the bank in person? Will the banks impose any service charge?
Applicants do not need to make arrangements at the banks in person, and the banks will not impose any service charge for auto-payment of subsidy.
Is applicant required to collect the order cheques in person at the service units?
Applicant should bring along his / her own Hong Kong Identity Card to collect the cheque in person at the service units. The order cheque will be issued after verification of the applicant's name and Hong Kong Identity Card number.
How to encash the cheque? Is it required to pay any service charge?
Applicants are required to go to any branch of the Bank of China (Hong Kong) in person, and produce the Hong Kong Identity Card for verification to encash the cheque. No service charge is required.
Can the applicant authorise other persons to encash the cheque?
No. As the cheque issued is an order cheque, the payee (not the bearer) will be the only person who can encash the cheque. As such, the applicant has to encash the cheque in person at any branch of the Bank of China (Hong Kong).
If an applicant chooses to collect the subsidy in the form of order cheque, what is the validity period of the cheque?
Cheque is valid for 6 months. After collecting the cheque, the applicant should encash it at the bank within 6 months from the cheque date.

If an applicant fails to collect the cheque at the service unit within the specified period without reasonable explanations, no cheque or subsidy will be re-issued/provided.
How may physically immobile persons (e.g. those who are disabled or bedridden) receive the subsidy?
For those who choose to receive the subsidy through direct payment into bank accounts, the subsidy will be deposited directly into the bank accounts as specified by the applicant households on the application forms through autopay.

For those who do not have a valid bank account, they may ask their relatives or friends to call the Secretariat at 2180 6666 for special arrangement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility Critiera

Calculating monthly household income

Application Arrangements

Required Documents

Disbursement of Subsidy

Other Questions