No Need to Apply... "Lee Jaemyung-Style Proactive Welfare" Takes Care of You Automatically

Overcoming the Limitations of Application-Based Welfare Support

Proactive Applications for Crisis Households Without Consent

Automatic Payment of Child Benefits and Basic Pension Without Application

Going forward, public officials will be able to apply for basic living allowances and other welfare benefits on behalf of at-risk households—including minors and people with developmental disabilities—even without their consent. Child allowances, parental benefits, and basic pensions will be paid automatically, without the need for application. Following a series of recent incidents, such as the "Uljugun Family Death Case," the government has decided to essentially abandon the principle of application-based welfare and shift toward a more proactive approach. President Lee Jaemyung pointed out last year, "Requiring applications is a very cruel system. If support is not provided simply because someone failed to apply, people end up dying from lack of aid."

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Senior Secretary Meeting held at the Yeomin-gwan of the Blue House on the 7th. Photo by Yonhap News

Proactive Support Instead of Application-Based Aid... Welfare Safety Net Reinforcement Measures Announced

On the morning of May 12, the Ministry of Health and Welfare reported these details at a Cabinet meeting under the title "Measures to Reinforce the Welfare Safety Net for Supporting At-Risk Households." The key point is to shift the welfare paradigm from "passive welfare," which requires applications, to "proactive welfare," where support is provided preemptively. This measure was developed in response to recent tragic deaths among child-rearing and elderly care households, aiming to close the gaps in the current welfare system.

The government will first greatly strengthen its system for identifying at-risk households. Previously, overdue utility bills—such as electricity or water—had to accumulate for three consecutive months to indicate a crisis. Now, the system will proactively identify households showing sudden changes in usage or other indicators of hardship, even before bills become overdue.

Automatic Payment for Child Allowance and Basic Pension... Expansion of Public Officials' Authority for Applications

The most notable change is the improvement of the application-based system. In the past, at-risk households could easily be excluded from welfare programs simply because they were unaware of the system or lacked documentation. From now on, child allowances, parental benefits, and the First Meeting Voucher will be paid automatically upon birth registration. Basic pensions and disability pensions will also be provided by regarding government-held information as an application and verifying eligibility. To facilitate this, the government plans to amend six laws, including the Framework Act on Social Security.

The scope of applications without consent will also be expanded. Currently, such applications are permitted only in exceptional cases, such as when individuals are mentally incapacitated. However, if an eligible person refuses or does not consent to apply without a clear reason, public officials are often unable to provide support, even in serious crisis situations. In the future, if a household includes minors or people with developmental disabilities and is in urgent need of support, public officials will be able to apply for welfare benefits on their behalf without consent and provide them preemptively. Even if overpayments are later identified, the responsible public official will be exempt from the obligation to recover the excess.

Eligibility criteria will also become more flexible. To prevent situations where identified households cannot receive support, the recognized scope of crisis situations will be broadened and the financial asset criteria for selection will be reviewed. The Emergency Support Review Committee will be activated so that even those who fall slightly short of the standards can receive support based on on-site judgment. In regions experiencing population decline, the government will consider gradually improving the calculation criteria for vehicle assets in basic living security, acknowledging that cars are virtually essential in those areas.

To alleviate the burden of care, support for childcare services for vulnerable households will increase to 1,080 hours per year, and infrastructure for elderly care, such as short-term care institutions, will continue to be expanded. To prevent suicides, the government also plans to establish a legal basis for suicide prevention centers to intervene immediately, even if the person who attempted suicide does not consent.

Gradual Increase in Welfare Officials at Town Offices... Incentives for Proactive Applications

To ensure effective implementation, the government will gradually increase the number of welfare officials at town and township offices, which currently stands at about 24,000. In addition, public officials and local governments that actively protect at-risk households through proactive applications will be provided with clear incentives, such as reward payments, to encourage proactive administration.

Jung Eun-kyung, Minister of Health and Welfare, emphasized, "This measure is significant as the first step to improving the application-based system by enhancing the effectiveness of automatic welfare payments and applications initiated by public officials. We will shift the policy direction from passive welfare, which requires applications, to proactive welfare that is provided preemptively, and, together with relevant ministries and local governments, we will build a seamless welfare safety net."

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