Coronavirus: Hong Kong frontline workers still waiting for Covid-19 subsidies because companies are refusing to apply
- Essential workers in Hong Kong still not paid Covid-19 emergency cash
- Contract workers highlight long delays in payment of coronavirus benefits
Amy* said she had to continue to work as a cleaner at a private company in Tai Po through the fifth wave of infections, despite soaring numbers of confirmed cases.
She said it was some comfort that the government promised a HK$10,000 (US$1,282) subsidy for essential workers who had contributed to the battle against the coronavirus pandemic, which had to be applied for through employers.
But Amy added that, despite asking her employer about the payment in early April, the firm had still not submitted a claim on her behalf.
“We are entitled to the allowance and it is the contractor’s responsibility to help us,” she said. “The government has not been most helpful either. The complicated application process has made it very difficult for us to receive the subsidy.”
A government progress report revealed that fewer than 10 per cent of the 16,791 applications for the support scheme for environmental hygiene and security staff in the property management sector had been approved by the first week of May – three months after the scheme was introduced.
