Democrats Demand CE Meeting On Welfare Changes

The Legislative Council's pro-democracy camp has requested a meeting with the Chief Executive Carrie Lam, to discuss a controversial policy change that will raise the minimum age at which welfare recipients are entitled to receive larger payments for the elderly.

Lam announced a new subsidy on Friday to offset the policy change, by giving an “employment support supplement” of HK$1,060 to welfare recipients aged 60 to 64.

The Chief Executive reportedly met with pro-establishment lawmakers before announcing the new measure. Asked about this on Friday, Lam said she must be free to meet any legislator or groups she wants. She added that if any political group wanted to see her, she would find time to do so.

Social welfare sector lawmaker Shiu Ka-chun now appears to be putting that to the test.

He said he has written to the Chief Executive’s Office to request a meeting. He wants to schedule it before the start of next month, when the age requirement for elderly payments under the Comprehensive Social Security Allowance scheme will be raised from 60 to 65.

He warned that if Lam says no, she would be making a statement that she wishes to sever all ties with the pan-democratic camp.

Pro-democracy lawmaker Charles Mok also said on Saturday the Chief Executive may find it even harder to win pan-democratic votes in future, after she suggested on Friday they may have been "envious" of her meetings with the pro-government camp.

Mok said there would certainly be some influence on how pan-democrats vote in future, but assured the public they would professionally judge every decision and vote they face in the Legislative Council.

"We are not taking it politically," he said.

"That is the Chief Executive's problem, which is looking at everything and politicising everything."

The pro-democracy camp said it will organise a demonstration against Chief Executive Carrie Lam's new social security subsidy next Sunday.