Seoul City Provides Mental Health Screening Fees and Education Allowances to 18,000 'Disabled Activity Support Workers'

First Welfare Benefit System Outside Conservatives... Up to 45,000 Won Per Person

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] On the 11th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will provide mental health examination fees and education allowances to 18,000 "Disability Care Activity Support Workers," who serve as the hands and feet of people with disabilities by supporting their daily care, for the first time nationwide. The mental health examination fee covers actual expenses up to 30,000 KRW, and the education allowance is a fixed amount of 15,000 KRW, allowing each person to receive up to 45,000 KRW.

Disability Care Activity Support Workers assist people with disabilities in their daily lives by supporting household activities such as meal assistance and cleaning, accompanying them when going out, and managing personal hygiene, thereby supporting their independence.

These support workers are required to undergo a mental health examination at least once a year to maintain their qualifications, but there has been no separate support policy, so they have borne the examination costs themselves. Additionally, although refresher training is mandatory, due to the nature of their work where actual working hours are linked to income, it has been difficult to adjust their schedules to attend.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has allocated a related budget for the first time this year with the goal of improving treatment by reducing the economic burden on support workers and enabling them to focus on disability care activities, thereby enhancing the quality of care services. Until now, support workers had no separate welfare benefits other than the hourly wage-based pay.

The support targets are 18,000 support workers currently registered at 167 disability activity support institutions in Seoul, such as disability welfare centers and disability independent living support centers, who are providing disability activity support services throughout this year.

Applications for support funds can be made from September to December at the activity support institution to which the applicant belongs. After receiving a mental health examination and completing the disability activity support refresher training in advance, applicants submit the application form along with supporting documents such as the mental health examination diagnosis and training completion certificate, and the funds will be deposited into their accounts.

Kim Seon-soon, Director of Welfare Policy at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, "We are grateful for the hard work of the 18,000 disability activity support workers who have quietly stood on the front lines providing care services to vulnerable groups even amid the unprecedented national crisis caused by COVID-19." She added, "We will continue to listen to the voices of support workers and do our best to ensure that welfare services for people with disabilities are provided thoroughly."

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