Are simplified Chinese characters used for handwriting in places using traditional Chinese characters?
They can understand and will occasionally use simplified Chinese


  1、台湾老的文化人都认识简体字。过去，台湾像大陆一样流行简体字。只是在中华人民共和国政府宣布实行简化字方案后，台湾当局才不许公共场合出现简体字，以表示不承认共党政府。但是，老人手写字依然有用简体字。我曾在回答关于“煎体字”问体中附一张照片，是1958年蒋介石写给郝伯村的信，信中就有几十个与我们完全一样的简体字。
  2、书法爱好者认识简体字。简体字大量是行书、草书规范化。经常看古人书帖自然会认识简体字。
  3、经常与大陆往来的人会认识简体字。要说台湾与大陆往来密切，哪里也比不上厦门。厦门一切公共场合，包括与台湾的经济、学术交流，都是规范字，台商工厂中也如是。看多了自然就认识了。
  4、这几年，台湾从大陆购买上百万册简体版图书，说明有很多人认识；原来不认识的，看这些书自然也就认识了。



Taiwan people know Simplified Chinese but in opposition to the Communist Government     of Mainland China, they refused to allow Simplified Chinese to be officially used. (This is more for political reasons) 
People who study classical Chinese literature will know simplified Chinese because Simplified Chinese evolved from XingShu and CaoShu styles. 
People who frequently go between Taiwan and Mainland obviously will know Simplified Chinese. 
Importation of Mainland Literature definitely helps others to learn simplified Chinese.