The system requiring citizens to directly apply for welfare benefits is changing. When eligibility can be verified using information held by the central government and local governments, investigation and payment procedures may proceed without a separate application process, with the person deemed to have applied. In particular, benefits such as the child allowance, parental benefit, and first-meeting voucher will be restructured to be paid without guardians having to apply separately.

'Six Bills Improving the Application-Based System' Pass National Assembly... To Take Effect Three Months After Promulgation

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the 2nd, the so-called 'six bills improving the application-based system' passed the National Assembly plenary session. The relevant laws will take effect three months after promulgation.

The existing welfare system was operated based on the 'application principle,' under which, in principle, individuals had to apply directly to receive support. This led to criticism that blind spots could occur where people who actually met eligibility requirements could not receive support because they were unaware of the system or faced difficulties in the application process.

After the reform, when eligibility can be verified using administrative information held by the central government and local governments, the person will be deemed to have applied, allowing necessary investigations to begin. The scope for responsible public officials to directly carry out application procedures for households in crisis will also be expanded.

Child Allowance, Parental Benefit, and First-Meeting Voucher to Be Paid from the Month of Birth

The changes to the child allowance, parental benefit, and first-meeting voucher are significant. Currently, guardians must apply directly, and the child allowance and parental benefit are, in principle, paid from the month of application. Going forward, this will change so that the central government and local governments verify the occurrence of eligibility and the guardian's intent to receive benefits, then pay without a separate application process. The child allowance and parental benefit will be improved to be paid from the month of birth. However, if a guardian does not wish to receive the benefit, payment may be withheld.

Basic Pension and Disability Pension: Simplified Application Procedures for Some Recipients

For some recipients, separate application procedures for the basic pension and disability pension will also be reduced. Currently, recipients of the disability pension must reapply for the basic pension when they turn 65. People with severe disabilities receiving livelihood or medical benefits must also apply separately to receive the disability pension.

Once the improvements are implemented, disability pension recipients will be deemed to have applied for the basic pension upon reaching age 65. People with severe disabilities receiving livelihood or medical benefits can also be treated as having applied for the disability pension.

However, omission of the application does not mean immediate confirmation of benefit payment. A screening process to verify whether income, assets, and other eligibility requirements set for each welfare benefit are met must still be completed.

Expanded Scope of Ex Officio Applications for Livelihood and Medical Benefits

The scope of those for whom responsible public officials can apply ex officio for livelihood and medical benefits will also be expanded. Currently, ex officio applications by responsible public officials without the individual's consent are mostly limited to exceptional situations such as mental incapacity or loss of mental capacity. Livelihood and medical benefits requiring financial asset investigations faced practical constraints even for ex officio applications.

Going forward, people who have difficulty maintaining their livelihoods due to crisis situations can be included in the scope of ex officio applications. Those who have attempted suicide or whose crisis situations remain unresolved even after receiving emergency support were presented as representative targets. When necessary, a responsible public official may apply ex officio without the individual's consent, then investigate income and assets, and if eligibility requirements are met, welfare benefits can be provided. Legal grounds for exemption from liability and for providing incentives will also be established so that responsible public officials can proactively identify households in crisis during the ex officio application process.

Not All Welfare Benefits Will Be Paid Automatically

This reform is significant in that it shifts the welfare delivery system, which previously required citizens to find and apply for programs themselves, to one where the central government and local governments first identify eligible recipients and provide support.

However, not all welfare benefits will be paid automatically. The targets and benefits eligible for deemed applications or ex officio applications will be applied according to the scope set by relevant laws, and actual payment will be determined through screening of income, assets, and other eligibility criteria for each benefit. The 'six bills improving the application-based system' will take effect three months after promulgation, and the specific implementation date, eligible recipients, and detailed procedures should be confirmed through the promulgation of the laws and subsequent guidance.

[This article was written for informational purposes based on materials released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Whether welfare benefits actually apply, along with payment timing and application and screening procedures, may vary depending on individual circumstances and future laws and guidelines to be implemented, so the latest guidance from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and related agencies should be confirmed. AI assistance was used in writing and organizing this article.]