Poverty and single elders in Hong Kong

Abstract

This paper proposes a methodology for measuring poverty among people aged 60 years or more and living alone in Hong Kong. It uses a lifestyle approach and is based on an index of subjective perceptions of deprivation consisting of 79 indicators. These cover the main expenditure categories of single elders in Hong Kong: housing, food, clothing, durable goods, fuel and water, entertainment and social activities, medical care and transport. We tentatively identify a poverty threshold of HK $7,000 per month in regard to these expenditure categories. With incomes below $6,000, respondents reduce spending on miscellaneous items and, at incomes of $5,000, they reduce spending on clothing, entertainment and social activities and transport. At incomes below $4,000, they cut down on food, durable goods, and fuel and water expenditure. As incomes drop below $4,000, respondents are forced to cut to a significant degree the ‘necessities’ of life, in particular food, to make ends meet. Despite this, levels of transfer payments to Hong Kong's eligible single elders are currently below this amount. It is noteworthy that respondents do not reduce housing, medical care, services and ‘other’ expenses when their incomes are below $7,000 per month. We conclude that Hong Kong's status as a ‘tiger welfare regime’, and in particular its relatively comprehensive provision of public housing and health care, helps to explain this finding.

The views of older Chinese people in Melbourne about their quality of life

“…A stable and adequate source of income has been shown to be an important factor in a happy life (McKenzie and Campbell 1987;Ho et al 1995 ;Mui 1998 ;Irwin 1999;le Grange and Lock 2002). An understanding of the life experiences and backgrounds of the informants helps explain both why the interviewees were pleased with their current financial status, and why they placed so much emphasis on continued financial security to maintain their quality of life.…”

Willingness to consider applying for reverse mortgage in Hong Kong Chinese middle-aged homeowners

“…In Hong Kong, it is a well-known fact that the older adults are one of the largest poverty groups in Hong Kong (La Grange & Lock, 2002). Specifically, in 2004, approximately, 17.5% of (182,280) older adults aged 60 and above were receiving government welfare, namely, old-age category of Comprehensive Social Security Scheme with means-tested but non-contributory, whereas only about 6% of the non-elderly people were on welfare.…”

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“…In an attempt to maintain its global competitiveness and economic growth in the context of globalization, Hong Kong's economy has become ever more service oriented; this shift, however, has been accompanied by increasing income disparities between highincome and low-income earners as the wage gap between skilled/well-educated and unskilled/less well-educated workers has consistently widened (Kennett and Mizuuchi 2010: 112). In the process, more and more low-income workers -including both © 2015 The Author(s) migrants and the elderly -find themselves unable to afford adequate housing or to meet their basic needs (see La Grange and Lock 2002).…”

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