Carer resources · Subsidies and allowancesSubsidies and Allowances for Older People
The biggest difficulty in applying for allowances is not filling in the forms. It is working out which one the whole family should apply for, because several of the main allowances exclude each other and a wrong choice means starting again. This page explains the nature of each allowance, where to apply and whether there is a means test. Exact amounts change with policy, and the latest announcement from the Social Welfare Department always applies.
The nature of each allowance and who can apply
The items below are listed from the lightest to the heaviest level of means testing. The order has a practical meaning: the less testing there is, the lower the cost of applying. The stricter the testing, the wider the protection, but the more information has to be declared.
Old Age Allowance (“fruit money”)This allowance is commonly called “fruit money”. Anyone aged 70 or above can apply, and no financial test is needed. Its amount is the lowest of all the allowances. It is a mark of respect for older people and is not meant to solve financial hardship.
Disability AllowanceThis allowance has no income or asset test. The key to applying is the medical assessment, and a doctor in the public healthcare system must certify that the disability is severe and lasting. The allowance has two levels, normal and higher. Because assets are not tested, many middle-income carer families are in fact eligible but may not know they can apply for it.
Old Age Living AllowanceThis allowance is for older people aged 65 or above, and income and assets must be declared when applying. Its amount is higher than fruit money, and it is the allowance that most grassroots older people actually receive. It cannot be received together with fruit money or the Disability Allowance, and one of the three must be chosen.
Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA)This is the safety net with the strictest financial test and the widest coverage, and the amount is worked out item by item according to the family's actual situation. Once CSSA is received, the social security allowances mentioned above cannot be received at the same time. CSSA cases for older people also have separate calculation and exemption arrangements.
Carer allowanceThis is a living allowance paid to the carer in person. The carer must meet requirements such as income, and apply through the Social Welfare Department's regularised scheme. This item is calculated separately from the allowances for older people above, and both can be received at the same time, which means the older person and the carer can each receive their own allowance.
Community Care Service Voucher for the Elderly (CCSV)This is a subsidy voucher that pays for community services such as day care and home care, using graded co-payment according to the family's financial situation. The condition for applying is that the older person has passed the standardised assessment and been confirmed as needing the service, and the voucher can only be used at service units recognised by the Social Welfare Department.
This page does not list the exact amounts of each allowance because allowance amounts and asset limits may be adjusted every year. Figures written in an article would soon be out of date, and carers could plan wrongly from them. Before submitting an application, always rely on the latest announcement on the Social Welfare Department's website. The main purpose of this page is to help you work out which items to look at.
The order of applying and points to note
The main allowances exclude one another. Only one of the three under the Social Security Allowance Scheme (fruit money, Old Age Living Allowance and Disability Allowance) can be received, and CSSA and the Social Security Allowance Scheme are also an either-or choice. In other words, a family is actually choosing between different combinations of schemes and cannot add the allowances together one by one. If the wrong combination is chosen, besides receiving less support, applying again means waiting for approval once more.
The right approach is therefore to ask a medical social worker or a District Elderly Community Centre to help work out the best combination for the whole family first, and only then to submit the forms. Residential care is another variable to watch. Moving into a subsidised home changes eligibility for some allowances, so if a residential care home is also being considered, the two matters must be worked out together and not handled separately.
Apart from cash allowances, service-type subsidies (such as subsidised places, day centres and home care) go through a different application system. They are not applied for directly. Eligibility for the service is obtained through the standardised assessment, and details are in the standardised assessment and waiting list for elderly care services. The two routes do not conflict, and many families apply for both at the same time. For the overall planning of other stages, see the overview of carer resources.
Can the Disability Allowance and the Old Age Living Allowance be received at the same time?
No. Of the three allowances under the Social Welfare Department's Social Security Allowance Scheme (Old Age Allowance, Old Age Living Allowance and Disability Allowance), only one can be received. Before applying, the family should first work out which one is the most favourable. CSSA and the Social Security Allowance Scheme are also an either-or choice, and an older person who already receives CSSA cannot receive the allowances above as well. This “mutually exclusive” arrangement is the most common trap in applying for allowances, and trying them one by one without a plan only wastes time.
Does a disability have to be very severe to qualify for the Disability Allowance?
The Disability Allowance has no income or asset test. The key is the medical assessment: the applicant must have a doctor in a public hospital or clinic certify that the disability is severe and will last for a period of time. The allowance has two levels, normal and higher, and the threshold for the higher level is clearly higher, broadly matching a need for constant care from another person in daily life. In practice, what causes the most dispute is that whether a disability is “severe” is not decided subjectively by the family. It is judged by the doctor according to the Social Welfare Department's criteria. Many applications are refused because the medical report does not reflect how dependent the older person really is in daily life. At a follow-up appointment, it is therefore much more important to tell the doctor specifically which things the older person cannot manage in daily life than simply to name the illness.
Are allowances affected after an older person moves into a residential care home?
Yes, and the effects differ. After an older person moves into a subsidised residential care home, some allowances stop or are adjusted. Moving into a private home follows another set of rules, and CSSA cases in residential care also have their own method of calculation. Because the combinations of allowances and homes are complicated, before deciding on a home it is advisable to bring a list of the allowances the older person now receives and ask a medical social worker or a District Elderly Community Centre to enquire and work it out. Do not act on guesswork.
What is the Community Care Service Voucher for the Elderly (CCSV)?
It is a subsidy voucher for community care services such as day care and home care. The older person pays a share according to the family's financial situation, in graded bands, and uses the voucher at service units recognised by the Social Welfare Department. Two points need to be noted before using it. First, the condition for applying is that the older person has passed the standardised assessment and been confirmed as having a need for community care services. Second, the voucher can only be used at organisations on the list of recognised service units, which can be checked on the Social Welfare Department's website (as of August 2026, the list had more than 300 units).
Who can help with applying for allowances?
There are two main free sources of help. If the older person is still in hospital or has just been discharged, contact a medical social worker. If the older person is back at home, approach the District Elderly Community Centre for the area (there is one in every district, run by non-governmental organisations). Both can help assess the family's situation to match suitable items to apply for, and can help fill in the forms and follow up. Applying for allowances does not need to go through an agent, and nobody who claims to “guarantee approval” should ever be paid.
Disclaimer: This article is general health information and is not professional medical advice. If you have any health concerns, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
