Seoul City Provides 'Emergency Living Support Fund' for Low-Income Households... Targeting 360,000 Families

Recipients of Basic Livelihood Security, Legal Second-Lowest Income Bracket, Childcare Support Single-Parent Families, etc.
Receive Rechargeable Prepaid Cards through Business Agreement with Shinhan Card

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 26th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will provide a total of 168.2 billion KRW in 'Temporary Emergency Living Support Funds for Low-Income Households' to stabilize the livelihoods of 360,000 low-income households struggling due to COVID-19 and rising prices.

The support targets include basic livelihood security recipients, legally designated near-poor groups, and single-parent families receiving child-rearing support as of May 29. The amount of support varies according to eligibility and the number of household members. The payment increases with the number of household members, and households receiving livelihood and medical benefits with lower income and property levels receive slightly more than housing, education, near-poor, and single-parent households.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to prioritize convenience for recipients by providing the funds via rechargeable prepaid cards. These cards can be easily used to purchase and consume essential daily items such as retail goods, dining, and groceries, with no regional restrictions on card usage. This 'Temporary Emergency Living Support Fund for Low-Income Households' will be distributed through rechargeable prepaid cards, following a business agreement between Seoul City and Shinhan Card Co. Transfer, sale to others, and balance refunds are prohibited, and the usage period ends on December 31 of this year, after which unused funds will expire.

Recipients can collect the cards by visiting their local community service center from the 27th to July 29 without any separate application process. It is principle that household members of eligible households visit the community service center in person to receive the card, and they must bring identification. For severely ill patients, persons with disabilities, or others who have difficulty visiting the community service center, the center will directly visit their homes to deliver the cards.

Ha Young-tae, Director of Welfare Policy at Seoul City, said, "Due to the recent sharp rise in prices caused by increased raw material costs, the livelihood burden on low-income groups, who spend a large portion of their consumption on daily necessities, is severe." He added, "Seoul City will ensure that this Temporary Emergency Living Support Fund project for low-income households is carried out swiftly and flawlessly to help reduce the livelihood burden on vulnerable citizens and boost their consumption capacity."

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