Gyeonggi Province Provides Emergency 21.5 Billion Won in Cooling Cost Aid for Vulnerable Groups

Gyeonggi Province will provide a total of 21.5 billion won in cooling cost subsidies to protect vulnerable groups suffering from the heat wave.

On July 24, Gyeonggi Province announced that it will provide cooling cost support starting July 28 to 338,630 households on basic livelihood support, 54,615 households in the near-poor class, and 8,718 cooling shelters, all registered in Gyeonggi Province.

Gyeonggi Province has urgently allocated 20 billion won from the disaster relief fund for safety-vulnerable groups and 1.5 billion won from the reserve fund for cooling shelters, and will provide the entire amount from the provincial budget by the end of August.

For basic livelihood recipients and the near-poor who have regular bank accounts and receive cash welfare, 50,000 won will be provided in a lump sum by the city or county without a separate application process. Households using seizure-protected accounts or those without registered account information must apply by phone or in person at their local town, township, or neighborhood community center to receive the support. However, residents of care facilities or households already receiving disability-related cooling cost support are excluded from this program.

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

Direct payments by city and county governments will begin on July 28, and payments to applicants will be made sequentially as eligibility and account information are confirmed.

Among the cooling shelters, 8,668 senior centers will receive an additional 165,000 won (1.43 billion won in total) for September cooling costs, in addition to the support already being provided for July and August. Fifty village and welfare centers will receive a total of 25 million won to cover cooling costs for the three months from July to September.

Cooling cost support for shelters will be provided directly to each facility immediately after city and county disbursement, starting July 30.

To ensure the fastest possible support, Gyeonggi Province held a 'Province-City/County Department Heads Meeting' on July 21 to provide operational guidelines to local governments and is also operating a communication channel for working-level staff.

Kim Hoon, Director of Welfare at Gyeonggi Province, stated, "This support will serve as a minimum safety net that goes beyond simple financial aid for vulnerable groups who hesitate to use cooling devices during the heat wave, protecting their lives." He added, "Gyeonggi Province will continue to implement responsible policies to protect the lives and health of residents in this era of climate crisis."

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