[Report] "A Great Help for the Vulnerable"… Elderly Crowd Community Centers on First Day of High Oil Price Relief Payments

"For basic livelihood security recipients like us, it's tough to even buy a meal in these times of high prices. I'm thinking about going out to eat with my wife for the first time in a while."

On the 27th, when the first round of 'High Oil Price Relief Payments' began, residents gathered at the WolSan4-dong Community Welfare Center in Nam-gu, Gwangju.

On the 27th, when the first phase of the "High Oil Price Damage Support Fund" payments began, a notice for applying for the damage support fund was posted at the Wolsan 4-dong Administrative Welfare Center in Nam-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Min Chanki

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Around 9 a.m., about 30 residents had gathered early in the morning to apply for the relief funds, waiting in line for their turn at the application desk. At this community welfare center, applications and registrations for the High Oil Price Relief Fund were being accepted in the third-floor meeting room, and from the entrance on the first floor, there were notices posted throughout the building with messages such as 'High Oil Price Relief Fund' and 'Applications and Registration: Third Floor Meeting Room.'

By 10 a.m. that day, about 40 residents had applied for the relief funds over the course of an hour. Most of them were elderly people who were not familiar with using the internet or mobile phones. Although only those whose birth year ended in 1 or 6 were eligible to apply that day, many residents, unaware of the day-based application system, ended up making the trip in vain.

On this day, only those whose birth year ended in 1 or 6 could apply; those with 2 or 7 could apply on the 28th, those with 3 or 8 on the 29th, and those with 4, 5, 9, or 0 on the 30th. The first round of High Oil Price Relief Payments is designated for vulnerable groups such as basic livelihood security recipients, the near poor, and single-parent families.

Staff would ask elderly visitors as they exited the elevator, "What is your year of birth?" to verify eligibility. One elderly applicant, who answered "born in 1947," was told he would have to come back the next day, and left looking disappointed.

Kang, an 80-year-old who came to apply with a cane, said, "As prices keep rising, those of us on basic livelihood security are even more worried about living expenses," adding, "I'm thinking of having a good meal at a restaurant with my wife."

On the 27th, when the first payment of the 'High Oil Price Relief Fund' began, residents were applying for the relief fund at the Wolsan 4-dong Administrative Welfare Center in Nam-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Min Chanki

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The elderly residents who entered the meeting room took their seats and handed over their IDs. After confirming their information, the staff immediately provided two prepaid cards: one for 100,000 won and another for 500,000 won, both loaded with the relief payment. The applicants asked, "Can I use these anywhere?" and staff responded, "You can use them just like the previous livelihood support payments."

Kim, a 60-year-old resident of WolSan4-dong, said, "Thanks to the relief fund, I plan to buy rice and some side dishes I've been craving," adding, "I feel reassured and might go to the market for the first time in a while."

The first round of High Oil Price Relief Payments is intended for vulnerable groups such as basic livelihood security recipients, the near poor, and single-parent families. In Gwangju, recipients receive an extra 50,000 won compared to the metropolitan area, so basic livelihood security recipients are given 600,000 won, while near poor and single-parent households receive 500,000 won.

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