240,000 Low-income Families to be Entitled to Cash Assistance

Low-income families, who have difficulties in making a living due to bankruptcy, death, health problems, financial difficulties, or divorce, will become entitled to direct cash assistance from the government.

The government and the ruling Uri Party held a meeting yesterday with the participation of Song Jae-seong, vice minister of Health and Welfare, and Lee Mok-hee , chief of Policy Coordination Committee 5 of the Uri Party, and decided to introduce a bill on the Special Act for Emergency Support to the National Assembly in June. They expected that the bill will be implemented in October this year.

The government estimated that there are approximately 241,000 households nationwide who can enjoy this benefit.

However, responding to this action, some criticize that the government seems to be attempting to gain political advantage, because without newly introducing the special act, financial support to low-income family can already be ensured by applying the current law. Yun Chan-young, professor of social welfare at Jeonju University, said, “Under the current welfare system, we have a program for financial aid in emergency cases. Therefore, before the poor obtains entitlement for welfare, they can receive aid first without filing paperwork,” adding, “I don’t think that enacting the special law is necessary because we can do it just by improving the current law.”

In-Jik Cho Hee-Kyung Kim cij1999@donga.com susanna@donga.com