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Terminal illness will be a ground for the early withdrawal of Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) benefits starting from 1 August 2015, under the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (Amendment) Ordinance 2015 (Commencement) Notice 2015 ("Commencement Notice") gazetted today (15 May).
 
The Commencement Notice also proposes a number of other provisions of the Amendment Ordinance to be effective on that day. One is the removal of the requirement for scheme members who apply for the early withdrawal of MPF benefits on the ground of total incapacity to obtain confirmation letters from their former employers or make statutory declarations certifying the termination of their contracts of employment.
 
Terminal illness is defined as an illness that is likely to reduce the life expectancy of the scheme member to 12 months or less. Applicants are required to obtain a certificate from a registered medical practitioner or a registered Chinese medicine practitioner and file a claim with their trustee within 12 months of the issue date of the certificate.
 
The Commencement Notice will be tabled in the Legislative Council for negative vetting on 20 May 2015. Upon its passage, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority will announce implementation details of the new arrangements.
 
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15 May 2015