Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, Makes Every Effort to Protect the Rights of Single-Person Households in Welfare Blind Spots

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Kim Samho) is attracting attention by sending welfare information guide leaflets to single-person households left in welfare blind spots.

According to Gwangsan-gu on the 21st, the district is promoting the “Counseling Without Refusal” project to support high-risk single-person households who are unable to receive necessary welfare benefits due to social and economic isolation.

This project sends customized social security benefit information guide leaflets to homes and provides services that the target citizens should rightfully receive or urgently need through counseling and welfare demand surveys.

Through data analysis of 9,454 single-person households presumed to be in welfare blind spots, including those aged 50 to 64 who received the Gwangju Household Emergency Living Expenses last year, those who did not apply for emergency disaster relief funds, and those whose social security benefits for single-person households were suspended, the district identified the target group.

So far, the guide leaflets have been delivered to about 8,000 households, 1,154 households have received counseling, and 334 households have applied for social security benefits.

Emergency welfare was provided in 38 cases to citizens who were not the target, and 29 cases were linked to case management subjects.

By bringing reclusive high-risk households into the welfare safety net with a single “letter,” results are emerging that resolve welfare blind spots.

Amid growing voices criticizing “application-based” welfare following the recent “22-year-old youth caregiver murder” incident, Gwangsan-gu is creating a seamless welfare safety net through proactive administration that uses data to identify crisis households in advance and restore their rights.

The district plans to complete sending guide leaflets to the targeted 10,000 households by the end of the year and continue linking customized welfare services.

Based on this, next year, the project will be expanded and promoted in a way that delivers various welfare information and hopeful, happy messages tailored to citizens’ perspectives under the name “A Kind Letter Delivered by a Magpie.”

Kim Samho, Mayor of Gwangsan-gu, said, “In response to the increase in single-person households and super-aging, we will proactively identify and support reclusive isolated households to realize a Gwangsan without welfare blind spots. We will support citizens’ dignity and life stability through data-based customized welfare.”

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