Suwon Expands Basic Living Security Program Beneficiaries

[Suwon Ilbo=Correspondent Seo Dong-young] Suwon City will significantly ease the 'property standards for support obligation families' applied in selecting beneficiaries of the Basic Living Security Program starting September 1st.

The property standards for support obligation families consider not only the income and property of applicants for basic living security benefits, but also the income and property of all first-degree lineal relatives (parents and children) of all household members in the applicant household.

The city lowered the income conversion rate for support obligation family members' general property (land, buildings, housing, etc.), financial property, automobiles, and other property from 4.17% per month to 2.08% per month for applicants of basic living security benefits for living expenses and medical benefits.

Compared to existing standards, the property threshold has been reduced by approximately 50%. For example, a support obligation family with 176 million won in property will see the income conversion rate lowered from the existing 1.66 million won to 830,000 won.

The city plans to actively promote the eased property standards for support obligation families in cooperation with neighborhood administrative welfare centers so that households previously rejected due to exceeding the property threshold can benefit. On the 23rd, the city sent announcements to approximately 250 households.

Basic living security benefits can be received by visiting the neighborhood administrative welfare center in your residential area for consultation and submitting a 'Social Security Benefit Application Form.' For more information, contact the Ministry of Health and Welfare Call Center (129) or your city/district office and neighborhood administrative welfare center.

Baek Un-o, director of the Social Welfare Division at Suwon City, stated, "With the eased property standards for support obligation families, citizens who were left out of the welfare blind spots will be able to receive benefits," adding, "We will continue to identify and support citizens facing financial difficulties."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Welfare abolished the application of support obligation family standards for educational benefits in July 2015 and for housing benefits in October 2018, respectively.