The Employment Support Scheme (ESS) received more than 140,000 applications from employers and 170,000 from self-employed people from the first day of the application period on May 25 until 6pm today.

The Government said the vetting process of all the applications received is expeditiously underway with a view to disbursing wage subsidies to successful applicants starting from mid-June.

Upon completion of the processing of applications, the ESS Secretariat will inform successful applicants of the results via SMS and email. Applicants can login to the ESS portal to check the amount of subsidy granted and the committed head count for the months of June to August.

Eligible employers and the self-employed wishing to apply for the wage subsidies under the scheme should submit applications before 11.59pm on June 14. Applications should be submitted through the ESS online portal.

The Government noted that quite a number of individual applicants who have applied for the one-off lump-sum subsidy of $7,500 are not eligible.

It reminded applicants that to be eligible for the one-off subsidy, they must have enrolled in a Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) Scheme as self-employed people and the relevant MPF account should have been set up on or before March 3 and that account has not been terminated as of March 31.

Applicants who have set up MPF accounts as employees, including employees who have ceased employment, are not eligible to apply for the one-off subsidy for the self-employed.

Email enquiry@employmentsupport.hk or call the ESS hotline 1836 122 for enquiries.

Applicants who need assistance in completing the online applications may call the hotline to make appointments with the three ESS Help Desks in North Point, Kwun Tong and Tsuen Wan.

The hotline and the three help desks run at designated hours until June 14.