A Study of the Cash Allowance Schemes for Family Caregivers in Hong Kong and Macao

Against the backdrop of rapid population ageing, Hong Kong and Macao, the two special administrative regions of China, have introduced cash allowance schemes to support family caregivers of older adults. These policies recognise the immense pressure on informal caregivers. This paper presents a comparative analysis of the caregiver allowance schemes, examining their target groups, eligibility criteria, benefit adequacy, and governance issues. We offer a mechanism-based account: delivery architecture yields Hong Kong’s conditional, tiered model and Macao’s simple, household-anchored scheme, highlighting trade-offs between strict targeting and broader but flat, co-residency-tied support. This comparison shows that although both regions formally recognise the value of family caregiving through financial subsidies, significant policy limitations undermine the schemes’ effectiveness. Without relaxing restrictive eligibility criteria, reviewing the adequacy of benefits, the co-residency requirement, and holistic support for caregivers, these allowances will remain a limited solution to the escalating caregiver crisis.