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The Hong Kong Council of Social Service has submitted its views on the review of the "Exemption of Income from Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme". The current "Exemption of Income from CSSA Scheme" has several problems, including not fully addressing the extra expenses required for employment, reducing the incentive for recipients to earn higher salaries, and missing the golden opportunity to encourage recipients to find work early.

The council suggests that the government should shorten the period of receiving CSSA before being eligible for the "Exemption of Income from CSSA Scheme" to one month, increase the work incentive by subsidizing the extra expenses required for employment, and establish a "Personal Development Asset Account" pilot scheme to promote asset building for working adults.

The "Personal Development Asset Account" scheme would allow recipients to save a portion of their income in a dedicated account, which could be used for education, training, or self-employment. The council believes that this scheme would help recipients to break the poverty cycle and achieve self-sufficiency.

The government's review of the "Exemption of Income from CSSA Scheme" has resulted in two proposed changes: increasing the exempted income limit from $600 to $800 and shortening the period of receiving CSSA before being eligible for the scheme from three months to two months. However, the council believes that these changes are still insufficient and do not fully address the problems with the current scheme.

The council's suggestions are based on international trends and experiences, such as the "Assets for Independence Act" in the US and the "Saving Gateway" program in the UK, which have shown that asset-building programs can be effective in promoting self-sufficiency and poverty reduction.

In conclusion, the council urges the government to further improve the "Exemption of Income from CSSA Scheme" and introduce measures such as the "Personal Development Asset Account" scheme to promote self-sufficiency and poverty reduction.