The HK$6,000 handout: elderly get paid first — when does everyone else get theirs?

On 26 October 2011, the government’s HK$6,000 handout finally started paying out: the first batch of registered residents aged 65 or above could receive the bank transfer that very day. The city-wide scheme ran in phases, but as of the previous week the government had received just over 3.15 million registrations — about half of all eligible recipients.

Who gets the HK$6,000 first?

As of 26 October 2011, the first recipients were all elderly people aged 65 or above who had registered since 28 August, with bank transfers arriving as early as that day; one million people qualified in this age group, and the government had originally expected transfers only in November — a week later than achieved. Elderly people without bank accounts, who must collect cheques at post offices, would only start receiving notification letters the following month, with cheques cashable at Standard Chartered Bank.

When do the five batches get paid?

The government split 6.1 million eligible residents into five batches by age group for staggered registration, with the final “18 to 29” batch starting this week:

Even those who filed with banks back on 28 August must wait for their own age group’s timeline. People in earlier batches who still haven’t registered can still do so via online banking, in person at banks, or by submitting forms at post offices.

What about the HK$6,000 plus HK$200 bonus?

Those opting for the HK$6,000 plus a HK$200 bonus must wait until registration opens on 1 April 2012, with payouts expected no earlier than May 2012. Overseas Hongkongers without bank accounts can mail forms to a Hongkong Post box number and must collect their cheques in person at a Hong Kong post office within a year. Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Chan Ka-keung was to announce the bank-disbursement details that day.