Hong Kongers with settled status in the UK still denied access to their MPF savings
Today, Hong Kong Watch published a briefing revealing that Hong Kongers who have obtained Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK are still being blocked from withdrawing their Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) savings, despite meeting the legal threshold for early withdrawal on the grounds of permanent departure from Hong Kong.
The MPF is Hong Kong’s compulsory retirement savings scheme, regulated by the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA). Since March 2021, the MPFA has barred the British National (Overseas) BN(O) passport from being used as evidence in early withdrawal applications. As a result, an estimated £3.4 billion in MPF assets remains withheld from Hong Kongers worldwide.
To investigate whether securing ILR resolves this in practice, Hong Kong Watch ran a public survey from 1 June 2026. Of 153 responses, 52 individuals had applied to withdraw their MPF savings after obtaining settled status. Among these 52 cases:
76.9% were denied
17.3% were still awaiting a decision
Only 5.8% succeeded
Among applicants who received a final decision, 93% were rejected. Of those denied, 85% had come to the UK via the BN(O) route, yet 88.2% of them say they submitted no BN(O)-linked documents at all. Two applicants had already obtained British citizenship and were still refused.
The briefing documents five individual cases. In three of the five cases, applicants submitted Home Office ILR approval letters as proof of settled status and were rejected regardless. Several deliberately withheld any reference to their BN(O) history, only to be turned down with identical boilerplate language citing BN(O) ineligibility. One applicant was asked to sign a declaration proving they had never held a BN(O) visa.
These cases and the wider data suggest MPF trustees are treating past use of the BN(O) route as automatically disqualifying, regardless of current status. MPF trustees are also automatically rejecting applications from those with ILR on the assumption that the BN(O) route was used, even when no evidence was provided, until proven otherwise.
In the briefing we detail the following recommendations:
UK-headquartered trustees, including HSBC, should release MPF savings to Hong Kongers who can evidence their right to reside abroad, in line with their obligations under the MPF trust deed.
The Foreign Secretary should raise the withholding of BN(O) visa holders’ MPF savings directly with Hong Kong counterparts.
The FCDO should publish data on MPF denial rates for BN(O) visa holders and ILR recipients in its six-monthly Hong Kong reports, to keep the issue formally tracked until resolved.
Megan Khoo, Policy Director at Hong Kong Watch, told The Mail on Sunday:
“‘It is outrageous that Hong Kongers who did everything right – who built new lives in Britain, gained settled status, and proved their permanent departure – are still locked out of their retirement savings. This is not a technicality, but a hardship inflicted on ordinary families by an authoritarian regime’s political retaliation.”
We will continue to collect MPF cases from affected Hong Kongers. You can click here to share your experience.
香港監察調查揭在英港人獲定居後申請提取強積金仍被拒
香港監察今日發表簡報，揭示已取得英國無限期居留權（ILR）的香港人儘管符合以永久離開香港為由提早提取強積金（MPF）儲蓄的法律門檻，但仍然被拒絕申請。
強積金是香港強制性退休儲蓄計劃，由強制性公積金計劃管理局（積金局）監管。自2021年3月起，積金局禁止使用BNO護照作為申請提早提取強積金的證據。結果，全球港人仍被扣押的強積金資產金額估計達34億英鎊。
為調查獲得無限期居留權能否實際解決問題，香港監察從2026年6月1日開始展開公眾調查。在153份回應中，有52人在取得定居身分後申請提取強積金儲蓄。在這52宗個案中：
76.9%被拒絕申請
17.3%仍正等待申請結果
只有5.8%成功申請
收到最後結果的申請人中有93%被拒絕。在被拒絕人士中，85%透過BNO計劃來到英國，但當中88.2%表示他們根本沒提交過與BNO相關的文件。兩名申請人已經取得英國公民身分，但仍然被拒絕。
簡報記錄了五宗獨立個案。在其中三宗個案中，申請人提交了內政部發出的無限期居留權批准信作為定居身分的證明，但仍然被拒絕申請。數名申請人刻意不提及自己的BNO歷史，結果卻被一式一樣的範本式字句拒絕，理由是BNO不符合資格。一名申請人被要求簽署聲明，證明從未持有BNO簽證。
這些個案和更廣泛數據表明，無論現時狀態是甚麼，強積金受託人都將過去使用BNO計劃視為自動失去資格。即使申請人沒提交過相關證據，強積金受託人也會假設已獲定居人士曾經使用BNO簽證並自動拒絕申請，直至申請人證明到自己未有使用BNO計劃。
我們在簡報中詳細列出以下建議：
總部設於英國的受託人（包括滙豐）應按照強積金信託契約的義務，向可以證明自己有權在海外居住的香港人釋放強積金儲蓄。
外交大臣應直接向香港對應官員提出BNO簽證持有人被扣押強積金儲蓄的問題。
外交、聯邦及發展事務部應在《香港半年報告》中公布BNO簽證持有人和獲得無限期居留權人士強積金申請拒絕率的數據，從而正式追蹤問題進展，直至解決為止。
香港監察政策總監Megan Khoo向《星期日郵報》表示：
「辦妥一切手續的香港人——他們在英國建立新生活，獲得定居身分，並證明自己已永久離開香港——竟然仍然無法提取退休儲蓄，實在可恥。這不是技術細節問題，而是威權政體政治報復對普通家庭造成的磨難。」
我們會繼續收集受影響港人的強積金個案。你可點擊此處享經驗。
Photo: Vanessa Lee on Unsplash