Old Age Living Allowance Eligibility Checker

Old Age Living Allowance (OALA) is means-tested. An applicant must be at least 65, generally have been a Hong Kong resident for seven years, and have resided in Hong Kong continuously for the year immediately before applying. Up to 90 days' absence in that year is generally treated as residence, but SWD decides evidence and exceptional circumstances.

From 1 February 2026, the monthly income and asset limits are HK$10,900 and HK$415,000 for a single person, and HK$16,680 and HK$630,000 for a married or qualifying cohabiting couple. SWD's cohabiting category requires the couple to live in the same household, share financial resources and consent to providing the partner's information. The combined position is assessed rather than only the applicant's own money.

Income generally includes employment and self-employment income, pensions, net rental income and annuity payouts. Assets generally include cash, deposits, investments, bonds, accrued retirement benefits and non-owner-occupied property. An owner-occupied home is generally excluded, while unspent excluded payments can later become assessable savings.

Insurance requires a component-level check. SWD exempts the cash value, including policy bonuses or interest, where a plan contains insurance components such as life, medical or critical-illness protection. A plan without those insurance components may instead be counted as an investment or savings asset. Cash received after surrender or withdrawal must be declared in its current form.

Silver Bonds and other government bonds remain bond assets; government issuance does not create an exemption. SWD's published OALA income list does not separately explain bond-interest treatment, so take the holding, coupon and bank records to SWD rather than assuming the interest is always included or always exempt. Once retained as cash or a deposit, its asset form must still be declared.

OALA and Old Age Allowance are different. OALA generally starts from age 65 and is means-tested; Old Age Allowance generally starts from age 70 and does not use the same means test. From 1 February 2026, their monthly amounts are HK$4,345 and HK$1,675 respectively. A person receiving OALA cannot receive Old Age Allowance, Disability Allowance or CSSA at the same time. SWD's formal assessment remains decisive.