Welfare scheme helps job search

January 26, 2019

Secretary for Labour & Welfare Law Chi-kwong:
For those who are 60 to 64 who are healthy and those who are able to go out to work, we will try our very best to encourage them to work. The minimum requirement basically is to meet our - what we call the Integrated Employment Assistance Programme (for Self-reliance) - to see the social worker so that they can help them to find jobs and that requirement is quite minimal. Basically, they are only required to see the social worker once every two months. If they fail to do so without any reasonable excuses for not (being) able to do that, there will be a deduction of $200. That is only very nominal and symbolic. We just want people to know that we would try our very best to help them. There is no particular reason for actually punishing them. It is basically very symbolic.

The Government will try its very best to encourage able-bodied Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients aged 60 to 64 to find a job, Secretary for Labour & Welfare Dr Law Chi-kwong said today.

These recipients are required to participate in the Integrated Employment Assistance Programme for Self-reliance.

Dr Law said that under the programme, the recipients are required to meet social workers at least once every two months to receive assistance with their job search.

He added that it was a minimal requirement and there would be a nominal deduction from the recipient's CSSA payment if they did not meet it.

“If they fail to do so without any reasonable excuses for not (being) able to do that, there will be a deduction of $200. That is only very nominal and symbolic.

“We just want people to know that we would try our very best to help them. There is no particular reason for actually punishing them. It is basically very symbolic.”