Emergency welfare aid to be given to more households

Four-person households can receive living and medical cost support from the government if their monthly income is 3.09 million won (2,793 U.S. dollars) or below.

The Health and Welfare Ministry announced Tuesday that the Cabinet Council passed a vote of the emergency welfare support law enforcement ordinance, which included expanding income eligible for the emergency welfare support from 120-150 percent of minimum living costs to less than 185 percent. This means that while emergency support was limited to four-person households earning monthly income of 2.45 million won (2,215 dollars) or less, now households with monthly income of 3.09 million (2,793 dollars)or below can receive the same support.

The emergency welfare support system enables prompt aid to low-income households that are facing crisis situations in maintaining living with living, medical, residential, facilities, electricity, dissolution and funeral, fuel and education costs. A welfare ministry official said, "We improved the system on claims that the existing emergency support standards are insufficient in helping people in crisis."

From 2016, eligible households will be further eased to below 75% of state median income. Based on current median income, four-person households with monthly income of 3.16 million won (2,856 dollars) or below are eligible for the emergency support from next year.