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E-news Issue 259

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Legislative Council passed motion on enhancing support for carers

On 3 June 2021, the Legislative Council passed a motion raised by the Hon LEUNG Che-cheung on strengthening support for carers. In urging the Government to comprehensively step up support for carers, the Council put forward various proposals as set out in the motion. These included enhancing the existing carer allowance schemes under the Community Care Fund; establishing a comprehensive carer support system; setting up carer support centres in various districts; increasing the number of emergency places and streamlining the relevant application procedures to enable needy persons to receive respite arrangements; and actively promoting flexible work arrangements, especially family-friendly employment measures, to assist employees in taking care of their families.

The proposals echo recent calls by the EOC for an overhaul of the carer support policy in Hong Kong, following heart-breaking incidents in which carers reportedly killed family members they had been looking after, before ending their own lives. Last September, the EOC made two submissions – to the Legislative Council Panel on Welfare Services and the Government in response to the Policy Address public consultation. In both submissions, the EOC called on the Government to enhance the support measures for carers. Among the EOC’s recommendations were increasing the capacity of respite care services which are currently over-subscribed, and improving the service quality of residential care homes.

In relation to the “Pilot Scheme on Living Allowance for Low-income Carers of Persons with Disabilities” and the “Pilot Scheme on Living Allowance for Carers of Elderly Persons from Low-income Families”, the EOC advised the Government to consider regularising the schemes and easing the restriction on recipients of the Old Age Living Allowance and Disability Allowance – many of whom are carers themselves – from benefiting from the schemes. 

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