Seoul City Abolishes Support Obligation Criteria for Basic Livelihood Security Recipients Aged 75 and Over

Support Provided When Income and Property Criteria Are Met Even If Living with Children or Grandchildren
Expanded to Include Seniors Aged 65 and Older in 2022

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government is significantly lowering the eligibility threshold for receiving the 'Seoul-type Basic Security' support, which provides living expenses and other aid to low-income vulnerable groups who have been excluded from the government's basic livelihood security qualifications.

On the 27th, Seoul announced that it will abolish the support obligation criteria for seniors aged 75 and older under the Seoul-type Basic Security starting in August. Until now, to be selected as a recipient of the Seoul-type Basic Security, applicants had to meet the criteria of having an income below 43% of the median income, assets below 135 million KRW, and also meet the income and asset criteria of the support obligation household (assets below 600 million KRW).

However, from now on, seniors aged 75 and older can receive support if they meet only their own income and asset criteria, even if they live with their children or grandchildren. However, if the support obligation household has an annual income of 100 million KRW or more, or assets of 900 million KRW or more, the support obligation criteria will still apply.

Seoul expects that approximately 6,900 additional people will be able to receive support under these new criteria.

The city also plans to gradually abolish the support obligation criteria for all seniors aged 70 and older next year, and for those aged 65 and older in 2022, starting with seniors aged 75 and older this year.

A city official explained, "Considering the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has led to economic activity contraction and an increasing number of people in poverty blind spots facing threats to their livelihoods, the intention is to expand the public social safety net for vulnerable groups who realistically find private family support difficult."

Seniors aged 75 and older who were previously unable to receive Seoul-type Basic Security benefits due to the support obligation criteria can apply starting from the 3rd of next month at their local community service center based on their resident registration address. Living expenses will be paid in cash, with a maximum monthly support of 264,000 KRW for single-person households and 713,000 KRW for four-person households.

Since the Seoul-type Basic Security system was implemented in July 2013, Seoul has provided a total of 78.6 billion KRW in living expenses and other support to 24,559 people across 17,285 households up to last year. This year, 12,400 people will receive a total of 19.7 billion KRW in support.

Seo Jeong-hyeop, Acting Mayor of Seoul, said, "We will gradually abolish the support obligation criteria, which have been identified as the main cause of poverty blind spots, starting this year to significantly lower the threshold for receiving Seoul-type Basic Security and greatly expand the public social safety net for vulnerable groups increasing due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. We will prioritize citizens' lives and create various field-oriented welfare models."

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