08.02.01.01. Social protection | Hong Kong SAR

08.02.01.01. Social protection | Hong Kong SAR

22 Aug 2022

Carer allowance is available for low-income family carers taking care of older adults in Hong Kong since 2014 (Social Welfare Department, 2019, January 28). Carers of people with dementia can apply for it if they meet the following criteria. The three major eligibility criteria are:

  1. the older adult needs long-term care service (i.e., previously assessed as moderately or severely impaired),
  2. the carer is from a low-income family and the household income does not exceed 75% of the Median Monthly Domestic Household Income,
  3. the carer is providing at least 80 hours of caregiving work per month (Social Welfare Department, 2019, January 28).

For more details, please refer to Part 9.

All employments in Hong Kong are regulated by the Employment Ordinance (Cap 57). Yet, there is no policy or guideline regarding paid or unpaid leaves for personal or family matters. Family carers of people with dementia can benefit from a wide range of tax reduction measures, although these measures are not designed specifically for dementia.

References:

Social Welfare Department. (2019, January 28). Pilot Scheme on Living Allowance for Carers of Elderly Persons from Low-income Families Phase III.