Emergency Disaster Relief Fund Can Be Received Through 'Appeal' Even If Not the Head of Household

Victims of Domestic Violence and Household Heads Missing: Raise Objections at Community Centers
Change 'Household Composition' Based on Divorce and Actual Child Support Status

On the 4th, when the government began distributing emergency disaster relief funds in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, an official posted a notice about the relief funds at a community center in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Priority recipients are 2.8 million households deemed in urgent need of support, such as those receiving livelihood benefits, basic pensions, or disability pensions, and the funds are provided in cash. Citizens who are not eligible for cash payments can choose to receive the support funds via credit or debit cards, paper/mobile/card local gift certificates, or prepaid cards. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Victims of domestic violence or child abuse, or households where the head of the household is missing, can now receive emergency disaster relief funds through an objection procedure without the household head's power of attorney.

According to the Detailed Criteria for Objection to Emergency Disaster Relief Funds released by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on the 8th, the 'household' eligible for emergency disaster relief funds is based on the resident registration household as of March 29, applying the concept of dependents under the National Health Insurance Act. Typically, a household is composed of people registered together on the resident registration list under the Resident Registration Act, but cohabitants who are not family members under civil law, including the household head and household members, are excluded.

Also, even if registered at a different address, spouses and children who are dependents under the National Health Insurance Act are considered one economic community and regarded as the same household as the insured person. Household members issued additional regional health insurance certificates are also considered part of the same household.

It is generally required that the household head apply for the emergency disaster relief funds. However, if it is practically difficult for the household head to apply or to obtain the household head's consent and power of attorney, household members may receive the emergency disaster relief funds through an objection procedure.

If the household head is missing or presumed dead, has emigrated or is staying abroad, making application difficult, or if the household head is mentally incapacitated, the objection by household members can be processed without the household head's power of attorney.

Additionally, if victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, or child abuse apply from an actual residence different from the household head's, they will be counted as a separate household and receive support funds accordingly. For example, if one parent resides with one child in a single-parent facility, they are considered a two-person household.

Even if the household composition applying the concept of National Health Insurance dependents differs from the actual 'legal family relationship' or 'support relationship,' adjustments can be made through objections for reasons occurring by April 30.

Changes in household composition are also possible when divorced couples have not settled their National Health Insurance dependent relationships, resulting in household composition differing from legal family relationships, or when the actual support situation for minor children differs from the National Health Insurance dependent relationship. However, other objections that may arise during divorce proceedings will be determined through government consultation with local governments and legal review.

Changes in family relationships occurring between March 29, the resident registration reference date, and April 30 can also be reflected through objections. Marriages during this period will be adjusted as one household, and divorces will be adjusted as separate households regardless of the resident registration address. Newborns can be newly added as household members, and deceased persons will be excluded from the household.

Furthermore, those who have acquired nationality and are the same as domestic nationals in terms of (post-payment) National Health Insurance subscribers, dependents, medical aid recipients, and those who stayed abroad for more than one month but returned to Korea during that period are included in the payment target.

Objections can be filed at the resident center of the jurisdiction of the address, and until a final decision is made after the objection, the application and payment of emergency disaster relief funds for the household related to the objection will be temporarily suspended.

Yoon Jong-in, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said, "It is the government's role and responsibility to ensure that emergency disaster relief funds can be applied for and paid according to the situations of the people." He added, "We will work with related ministries and local governments to ensure that the emergency disaster relief funds are distributed more broadly and warmly to the people."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.