Work Incentive Transport Subsidy Scheme

The Work Incentive Transport Subsidy (WITS) Scheme is to relieve the burden on travelling expenses commuting to and from work on the part of low-income employed persons and promote sustained employment.

What’s New

The WITS Scheme has been revised from the claim month of January 2013.  Details are as follows:

• Applicants of the same household can opt for:

  (a)	each applicant to be assessed individually; or
  (b)	all applicants to be assessed together as a household.

• Applicants meeting the personal income and asset limits for single-person households as well as other eligibility criteria can apply for WITS on an individual basis.  Individual-based applicants may apply in July 2013 at the earliest for subsidy from January to June 2013.
• Applicants can choose between individual or household assessment upon initial application or re-application every six to 12 months.
• Transitional arrangement: For applicants who are eligible under existing household-based application but wish to make individual-based application, they may qualify for WITS on household-based application for less than six months before January 2013.  Under such circumstances, they are allowed to apply for subsidy on a household basis to cover the period immediately before their first individual-based applications, even if it falls short of six months.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• being employed or self-employed, and lawfully employable in Hong Kong;
  
• incurring travelling expenses commuting to and from work;
  
• meeting the monthly income and asset limits (please refer to Appendix); and
  
• working no less than 72 hours per month (if applying for full-rate subsidy of $600 per month) or working less than 72 hours but at least 36 hours per month (if applying for half-rate subsidy of $300 per month).

Deadline for Application

Applicants may apply for the subsidy for the previous six to 12 months in each application. Application for subsidy starting from January 2012 should be submitted on or before 31 January 2013; that for subsidy starting from February 2012 should be submitted by 28 February 2013, and so on.

Notes to Applicants

• For the convenience of applicants, applications can be submitted by post and subsidy is paid through bank transfer.
• The subsidy is granted on the basis of calendar month (Note 1) and applicants will receive WITS for each eligible month.
• Applications are means-tested on an individual (Note 2) or household basis. Household members include core family members living on the same premises and persons who live on the same premises and share the provisions for a living.

Application Documents

Individual Application Form will be available from June 2013 onwards.  Household-based applicants can continue to use the existing Household Application Form.

The Guidance Notes on Application for Work Incentive Transport Subsidy Scheme in the Household Application documents provides details of the Scheme and WITS applications, samples for completing the application form, copies of supporting documents to be submitted, etc. for applicants’ reference. Application documents can be obtained at Distribution Points below, and may also be downloaded here.

Household Application documents available for downloading include:

• Household Application Form (Internet Version) (PDF)
• Supplementary Sheets (Internet Version) (if applicable) (PDF)
• Guidance Notes on Application (Internet Version) (PDF)
• Cover Sheet for Copies of Supporting Documents (PDF)
• Application Reminder (applicable to the internet version of application documents and containing Mailing Label and Address Label for submission of application) (PDF)
  

Leaflet of the WITS Scheme

• Work Incentive Transport Subsidy Scheme Amendment Sheet (PDF)
• Chinese (PDF)
  
• English (PDF)
• Hindi (PDF)
• Nepali (PDF)
• Urdu (PDF)

Distribution Points of Application Documents

• WITS Division of the Labour Department
  (Office at Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui)
• Job Centres of the Labour Department
• Public Enquiry Service Centres of the Home Affairs Department
• Social Security Field Units of the Social Welfare Department

Submission of Application

Applicants should put the completed application form, mailing label and copies of relevant supporting documents into the envelope provided for submission of application for return to the Labour Department in the following ways:

• by post (P.O. Box 98877, Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office, Kowloon) or by hand to the WITS Division of the Labour Department; or
• through the Application Drop-in Boxes at the Job Centres or Headquarters of the Labour Department.

Addresses and Service Hours of the Labour Department’s WITS Division and Headquarters

Frequently Asked Questions

• WITS Scheme

TV and Radio Announcement on the WITS Scheme

• TV Announcement (Transcript)
• Radio Announcement (Transcript)

Videos relating to the WITS Scheme

• Transport subsidy scheme relaxed
• Adjusted travel subsidy to benefit more
• Subsidy plan eases transport expenses
• Transport subsidy form to be distributed
• Subsidy applications to open Oct 3

Recent Press Releases

• Employed members of low-income households may apply for Work Incentive Transport Subsidy under higher limits (16 September 2012)
• SLW announces enhancement measure for Work Incentive Transport Subsidy Scheme (31 August 2012)

Enquiries

• 24-hour Enquiry Hotline: 2717 1771 (handled by "1823")