Elderly aid:
Secretary for Labour & Welfare Matthew Cheung briefs the media on the community care service voucher pilot scheme.
Care vouchers set for the elderly
February 03, 2012
The community care service voucher pilot scheme will be launched in two phases from 2013-14.
Elaborating on the Financial Secretary’s 2012-13 Budget at a press conference today, Secretary for Labour & Welfare Matthew Cheung said the scheme provides subsidies directly to eligible elders for them to choose the community services they need.
He said it will encourage different types of service providers to join the market, thereby promoting the further development of community care services.
The first phase is aimed at elders with moderate impairment, who will each have a single value voucher worth $5,000 per month, with the Government contributing $2,500 to $4,500. More complex features may be introduced in the second phase.
Mr Cheung said he will table the proposal at the Legislative Council later this month.
Meanwhile, the new Guangdong Scheme, which will provide the Old Age Allowance for eligible Hong Kong elderly who choose to reside in Guangdong, will be implemented in 2013-14.
The budget also proposed earmarking $900 million from the Lotteries Fund for improving the physical setting and facilities of up to 250 elderly centres.
Mr Cheung said recurrent expenditure on social welfare in the new fiscal year will be $44 billion, up 9% on the current year, and a 29% increase on 2007-08.
Recurrent expenditure on elderly care services in 2012-13 will be $5 billion, representing 11% of total expenditure.
Recurrent expenditure for elders on social security, elderly care services and healthcare services will be $43.5 billion, representing 16.5% of total recurrent government expenditure. It is an increase of 37% on 2007-08.
