Suwon Residents' 'Emergency Welfare Support Standards' to Be Raised from January 13

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] With the launch of 'Suwon Special City' on January 13, Suwon residents will be subject to the same emergency welfare support standards as Seoul and Metropolitan Cities (major cities).

On December 31 last year, the Ministry of Health and Welfare amended the ordinance related to 'Emergency Support Grant Amount and Total Asset Standards,' including Special Cities in 'major cities' in the regional classification for total asset standards.

With the ordinance amendment, Suwon City's regional classification changes from 'medium-sized city' to 'major city,' and citizens of four Special Cities including Suwon will be able to apply standards equal to those of Special Metropolitan City and Metropolitan City citizens starting January 13.

The emergency welfare support asset standard for Suwon residents increases from 152 million won (medium-sized city) to 241 million won (major city), an increase of 89 million won. With the upward adjustment in asset standards, the monthly housing support limit for a 4-person household increases from 422,900 won to 643,200 won, an increase of 220,300 won.

Emergency welfare is a system that provides living expenses and other support to households facing difficulty in maintaining their livelihood due to sudden crisis situations such as job loss or illness resulting in loss of income, or suspension or closure of business making real business operations difficult.

Suwon City, with a population of 1.2 million, has no difference in urban scale or living standards compared to Metropolitan Cities. However, due to unreasonable standards in the past, even citizens with the same asset values as Metropolitan City residents received less support or were unable to receive emergency support benefits due to smaller deductions for basic assets.

Mayor Yeom Tae-young and the mayors of four Special Cities held multiple meetings with government officials to resolve the reverse discrimination faced by citizens in cities with over 1 million population, and consistently recommended that 'unreasonable basic asset ordinances be amended,' achieving results.

A city official stated, "As the COVID-19 situation prolonged, households in crisis have increased. From January 13 onwards, we will actively promote the increased emergency welfare support, quickly identify households in crisis, and provide support."