A grassroots organisation and a youth concern group on Sunday called on authorities to offer more financial support for underprivileged young people.

The Society for Community Organization and the Concern Group on the Grassroot Youth have said they told welfare under secretary Ho Kai-ming in a meeting that the poverty rate among young people from age 15 to 24 has gone up by six percent in the past decade.

To counter this increasing figure, the two groups said the administration should be offering more subsidies for underprivileged students. Officials should also consider rolling out a career mentoring programme for them, they said.

In response, Ho said the government would consider some of the recommendations.