DISABILITY SUBSIDY FOR "A" OR DELAY CHILDREN

mrsphcheung

A monthly disability subsidy of HK$1180 is given to every child diagnosed as autistic or developmental delay.  Once the subsidy is granted, parents can apply disability allowance for their children on tax assessment.  Medical social workers who follow the case of less able children will help parents to apply for the subsidy.  I have just heard this good news (the only good news after my child's diagnosis) from the social worker of Heep Hong Society.  Although I have missed this chance, I will ask for it next week.  As tax payers, we must fight for our right.     

Fatbb

my son study in ICCC, has autistic features, but the social worker haven't told me about this, is my son ok to apply?

思佳媽咪

Dear mrsphcheung

They will reassess every 2 years.  The subsidy may be withdrawn if the kid study in a normal school.  Why are you so happy with the subsidy?  It will only be granted to children who are assessed MR in the W. IQ test (i.e. below 70).  I know a child who was asked to withdraw subsidy when he has entered a normal school.  If you insist in getting the subsidy, that means you insist that he is MR.  My son got it for two years.  I withdrew it myself since I didn't want to be called in to re-assess & then confessed the child was still MR.  For marginal case like us, it is quite humiliating to argue like that just for the purpose of getting the subsidy.

hinhinmummy

Fatbb

我果時個醫生&社工都無提過架, 我係上bk見到媽咪話可以申請, 我自己問咋, 依家批左兩年.

思佳媽媽

我諗mrscheng(不知有係串錯), 佢不係特別開心, 而係因為既然自己個小朋有同其他小朋友有特別不同, 而我們接不接受佢的特別都好, 都無辦法改變, 既然係甘咪唯有接受, 但既然我們交左稅, 比左甘多無謂錢比d大陸人拿綜緩, 我們拿呢個津貼都好應份, 我不覺得有問題, 依家排政府的training, 有排都排不到, 拿返d野都好呀!

思佳媽咪

Dear hinhinmummy & mrscheung

我都明白你的意思，可能我的語氣不好，對不起mrsphcheung。

有時覺得自己付出很多，孩子也有進步，算是比marginal case 好一點，硬要在政府人員面前承認他是弱智，有點過不到自己那關。

hinhinmummy

思佳媽咪

我都好明白每個媽咪聽到個名xx津貼會不開心, 我都是, 但只要我個心明白到軒軒不是xx就已經ok, 不拿白不拿, 政府既然從無為我們呢D媽咪做過d mug野, 我只會當呢d津貼係報償佢training的費用.

大家努力, 希望有朝一日我們再不需要拿xx津貼.

mrsphcheung

Quotation 1: "我諗mrscheng(不知有係串錯), 佢不係特別開心, 而係因為既然自己個小朋有同其他小朋友有特別不同, 而我們接不接受佢的特別都好, 都無辦法改變, 既然係甘咪唯有接受, 但既然我們交左稅, 比左甘多無謂錢比d大陸人拿綜緩, 我們拿呢個津貼都好應份, 我不覺得有問題, 依家排政府的training, 有排都排不到, 拿返d野都好呀!"
Quotation 2:  "政府既然從無為我們呢D媽咪做過d mug野, 我只會當呢d津貼係報償佢training的費用."  

This is what I think.  As a taxpayer, I have never got anything from the government.  The SAR government is wasting our money.  It is our right to get something for the benefit of our poor children.  In fact, the monthly subsidy and the tax allowance are insufficient to cover my training expenditure (private ST, OT, attention training, pre-writing skill training and social skill training).  

ninin

actually the amount of the allowance is very limited, but better than nothing la

mrsphcheung

Dear Fatbb,
Me too.  That's why I said that I missed the chance.  But I know that I can ask my medical social worker to help me.  Using the money to buy teaching materials for our children is better than sponsoring fireworks in festivals.

HayBMum

Not only MR cases can apply for the subsidy.  Even though my son is A-feature, and his IQ is comparable to his age, the doctor still approved the subsidy to me for 2 years.  Although I did not "like" the subsidy, as a taxpayer, I think I have the right to get it.  Plus the tax allowance of $60000 for disability, it is around $2000 per month.   

st

I agreed with all of u.

I just received the $$ and I use it to having private ST training for my girl. I did not waste the money or put it into my pocket.

Hayb Mum is right, with the ID # from Social Welfare dept, our family can enjoy extra $60000 tax allowance. that mean we can save up some tax pay, and can have more extra $$ to train our kid.

st

ALAL

Will the receiving of allowance  have implication on buying of insurance policy and migration?  

mrsphcheung

Dear ALAL,
Do you know the case of Louis Wong, an autistic boy emigrated to Australia?  His family had a legal dispute about the right of abode of Louis with the Australian government once they emigrated there.  Is a disable family member deprived of the migration right of the whole family?

wksin

請問各位,

我今早問過我個社工, 佢話我個仔只係speech delay 一年, 理解力差半年, 智力與同齡差唔多係無得申請, 請問係唔係咁樣既呢? 不過佢話可以幫我問下醫生。

wksin

mrsphcheung

Dear wksin,
Similar to you.  My son was diagnosed as developmental delay by Duchess of Kent.  He also visits Yaumatei Child Psychiatric Clinic and the doctor there has not yet diagnosed him as autistic after several visits since December 2003.  The medical social worker says that my case is very marginal and I may or may not get the subsidy.  Any way, I just apply for it to declare my right as a Hong Kong citizen.

kmwun

Dear all

剛剛打電話到社會福利署，如想申請公共福利金計劃下的傷殘津貼，先帶文件到社會保障辦事處取表格，到有關的智能測驗中心覆診時交醫生，由醫生決定是否發放有關的津貼，如醫生批准則帶同文件回社會保障辦事處辦手續．可參考社會福利署網址:

http://www.info.gov.hk/swd/html_tc/ser_sec/soc_secu/index.html

另"納稅人如在任何課稅年度內供養一名有資格根據香港政府傷殘津貼計劃領取津貼的家屬，則他�她便可就該名受養人申索傷殘受養人免稅額"，查詢過稅務局只需"有資格"，不必要正在領取傷殘津貼則可申索現時每年六萬元的免稅額．可參考稅務局網址:

http://www.ird.gov.hk/chi/tax/ind_all.htm#08

如果政府提供足夠的協助俾小朋友，或者會將我地放棄的資源用在更有需要的人身上，我都會考慮唔申請，可惜現實唔係...

kmwun

ALAL

我試過幫小朋友買儲蓄保險，有保小朋友life的那一類，聲明小朋友有自閉傾向，結果保險公司唔係reject，係defer佢的申請，到七嵗至再審核．卒之只可以買子女的讀書儲蓄保險，分別係只保大人的life insurance，唔保小朋友．個人認為不宜忍瞞小朋友的情況，以免日後如需索償時會有問題．

hinhinmummy

kwun

但由一出世就買, 又點計呢? 當時未知架bor.

HayBMum

wksin,
When my son was assessed at two, his intelligence was assessed as "age appropriate" but I still got the subsidy.  I think different doctor will have different judgement.

wksin 寫道:
智力與同齡差唔多係無得申請, 請問係唔係咁樣既呢? 不過佢話可以幫我問下醫生。

wksin

HayBMum

Same to me.  But I don't want to ask my agent as I don't want her to know my son's situation.  Anyone knows how to check this out?

hinhinmummy 寫道:
kwun

但由一出世就買, 又點計呢? 當時未知架bor.