SWD to Merge Grants for Traffic Accident Victims, Introduces New Compassionate Grant Starting Tomorrow

Revised arrangements under Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Scheme to be implemented starting tomorrow

The Social Welfare Department (SWD) announced today (June 27) that it will implement revised arrangements under the Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Scheme starting from tomorrow (June 28), in which Injury Grant and Interim Maintenance Grant of the Scheme will be merged into Compassionate Grant (CG).

An applicant eligible for CG will receive $330 per day for a maximum of 60 days of sick leave. Subject to meeting other relevant eligibility criteria, a CG applicant must obtain certification from a registered medical practitioner (including a registered Chinese medicine practitioner) that his/her injury requires hospitalisation for no less than seven days or sick leave for at least seven days. An applicant can only apply for CG once within two years. The SWD will adjust the assistance amount of CG annually in accordance with the established mechanism.

An SWD spokesman said that the Government has no intention to alter the original policy intent of the Scheme. The revised arrangements, approved by the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council today, aim to enhance the Scheme so that it can provide modest but timely relief to victims of traffic accidents in a sustainable manner, help victims overcome short-term financial difficulties, ensure proper use of public resources, and prevent abuse and fraudulent behaviour. For persons with financial difficulties or other welfare needs, the SWD will provide them with appropriate support, including referring them to apply for the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance or other assistance.

The revised arrangements will apply to the applications involving traffic accidents that happened at or after 00.00 hours tomorrow. Victims of traffic accidents that happened before 00.00 hours on June 28, 2025, can still apply for Injury Grant and Interim Maintenance Grant under the Scheme, subject to meeting the relevant eligibility criteria.

The arrangements for the other three grants under the Scheme, namely Burial Grant, Death Grant and Disability Grant, will remain unchanged.

Details of the Scheme are available on the SWD's website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/pubsvc/socsecu/trafficacc).

Property owner fined over $60,000 for not complying with removal order

An owner was convicted and fined $66,040 in total, of which $56,040 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued, at the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts last Friday (January 9) for failing to comply with a removal order issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).

The case involved unauthorised building works (UBWs) with an area of about 45 square metres on the roof of a village house on a lot in D.D.130, Tuen Mun. Since the Lands Department would not issue a certificate of exemption for the UBWs and the UBWs were carried out without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), a removal order was served on the owner under section 24(1) of the BO. Failure to comply with the removal order, the owner was prosecuted by the BD.

A spokesman for the BD said today (January 13), "UBWs may lead to serious consequences. Owners must comply with removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take enforcement action against owners who fail to comply with removal orders, including instigation of prosecution, to ensure building and public safety."

Failure to comply with a removal order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $200,000 and one year's imprisonment, and a further fine of up to $20,000 for each day that the offence continues.