"Increasing Self-Reliance Support, Reducing Care Burden" ... Ulsan Disability Welfare Policies Change Like This

144.3 Billion KRW Invested, 12.7% Increase from Previous Year

Expansion of Care, Welfare Infrastructure Establishment, Income and Job Support, etc.

Ulsan City Hall.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] This year, Ulsan's welfare policies for the disabled will shift towards strengthening support for the independence of people with disabilities.

On the 3rd, Ulsan City announced that it will promote the "2022 Disability Welfare Promotion Policy" to support independent living for people with disabilities and their families.

It was explained that the focus is on solidifying support for independent living for the disabled and reducing the caregiving burden on families.

The project budget totals 144.3 billion KRW, an increase of 16.3 billion KRW (12.7%) from last year's 128 billion KRW.

Looking at the main projects, care services to support the maintenance of daily life will be expanded.

Ulsan City will realize the unit price of activity support services to reduce the burden of daily living support and caregiving, and increase the additional allowance to activate the connection between activity support personnel and beneficiaries.

The service unit price increased by 780 KRW from 14,020 KRW to 14,800 KRW per hour.

The hourly additional allowance also rose by 500 KRW from 1,500 KRW to 2,000 KRW.

If a disabled activity support beneficiary transitions to a long-term elderly care beneficiary after age 65 and experiences a reduction in benefits, activity support services will continue to be provided.

Daytime and after-school activities for adults and adolescent developmental disabilities will be guaranteed, and daytime and after-school activity services will be expanded to reduce the caregiving burden on guardians.

For the most severely developmentally disabled individuals who find group activities difficult, the additional allowance for one-on-one group daytime activity services will also be increased.

To expand infrastructure and support for disability welfare facilities, two daytime care facilities for the most severely disabled and two lifelong education centers for people with developmental disabilities will be newly established.

By reinforcing the functions of vocational rehabilitation facilities for the disabled, the working environment for disabled workers will be improved to contribute to income increase, and construction of the Buk-gu Disabled Welfare Center will begin to create various infrastructures.

Income security and social participation will be promoted through income and job support.

Ulsan City decided that this year’s basic disability pension will increase by 7,500 KRW from last year’s 300,000 KRW to 307,500 KRW, and severely disabled persons will receive a maximum disability pension of 387,500 KRW per month, including an additional allowance of up to 80,000 KRW.

The number of jobs for the disabled will expand from 611 to 699, and wage levels will increase by 5% monthly compared to last year. Regionally tailored employment support projects will also be promoted according to the economic independence and needs of the severely disabled.

To implement the roadmap for community independence support for deinstitutionalized disabled persons decided last August, two new independent living support housing units for the disabled will be established. Residential coaches will be in charge to support the independence path from preparation to initial settlement, and support for settlement funds for those leaving residential facilities will also be expanded.

To guarantee social participation and mobility rights for transportation-vulnerable groups such as the disabled and elderly, ramps will be installed at 40 small multi-use facilities to enable safe and convenient use of these facilities.

Additionally, the "Disability Health and Care Difficulty Monitoring" project will expand emergency safety services for the severely disabled.

To satisfy cultural needs and support leisure activities for the disabled, programs at the Disability Culture Center will be revitalized, and the "Sonamu Disabled Choir," where disabled and non-disabled people participate together, will be operated.

Park Yong-rak, Director of the Welfare and Women’s Bureau, said, "People with disabilities and their families are going through a difficult time due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic," adding, "We will strive to ensure a happy life for people with disabilities by promoting various disability welfare policies."

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