Govt To Make Handout Applications Easier:DAB

The government says it's easing the requirements for people applying for cash handouts of up to HK$4,000, after complaints from housewives, students and the homeless that they can't always offer proof of address.

Speaking after meeting with the Secretary for Financial Services, James Lau, DAB lawmaker Elizabeth Quat said the government also plans to relax requirements for proof of bank accounts, because this can also be difficult for some groups.

Carrie Lam’s administration has come under fire over the way it’s handled the process of applying for the handouts this week.

Government offices ran out of application forms on Monday soon after they were released, with some officials refusing to provide paper when applicants asked for printouts from the government website. Members of the public also complained of being unable to get through to the official hotline.

On Tuesday, the acting Chief Executive, Matthew Cheung, urged government staff to be "flexible" after complaints that some applicants were asked to bring their own paper to print out application forms.

Quat has criticised the application method "old-fashioned", and said the government should come up with an online system.